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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


A   TRIP   TO 


WFOWMBILAMBs 


itnierg  aui(  Jfisljtries; 


AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  LAYING  OF 


THE  SUBMARINE  TELEGRAPH  CABLE, 


BY     JOHN      MULLALY. 


ILLUSTRATED    WITH    THIRTY    ENGRAVINGS, 
PROM    ORIGINAL    DRAWINGS    CY    D.    C.    HITCHCOCK. 


NEW     YORK: 

PUBLISHED   BY   T,    W,    STRONG, 

98   NASSAU    STREET, 
1855, 


Enterkd  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1855, 

BY   T.    W.    STRONG, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  UL.ited  States,  for  the  Southern 

District  of  New  York. 


YivojiKT  L.  Diti,,  Sterootyper,  Al)EK,  Printer, 

1*8  FuUon  Street,  New  Tork.  213  &  215  Centre  Street. 


MfS 


^  ten  o'clock  precisely  on  the  morning 
ci  of  the  7th  of  August,  1855,  the  steamer 
James  Adger  left  her  pier,  No.  4  North 
River,  with  a  large  number  of  passen- 
gers on  board.  Now  as  she  had  been  in  the  habit  of  doing  this  at  least 
once  every  two  weeks,  there  might  appear,  after  all,  to  be  nothing  extra- 
ordinary in  the  fact  of  her  doing  so  on  the  day  in  question,  and  still  less 
might  there  appear  any  necessity  for  stating  that  fact.  But  there  was 
something  in  the  circumstances  connected  with  her  departure  on  that 


M314037 


4  ATRIPTO      NEWFOUNDLAND. 

occasion  whicli  we  think  will  justify  us  in  recording  it,  and  presenting  to 
the  American  public  a  simple,  brief  and  unpretending  narrative  of  her 
voyage,  and  the  objects  and  incidents  of  the  mission  on  which  she  was 
employed. 

There  are  very  few  who  have  not  heard  of  that  grand  achievement 
of  human  genius,  the  electric  telegraph,  and  of  the  wonderful  things  that 
have  been  accomplished  through  its  agency  ; — how  distant  lands  have  been 
brought  into  close  connection  ;  how  people  separated  by  thousands  of  miles 
have  been  enabled  through  it  to  communicate  their  thoughts  to  each  other 
almost  with  the  same  rapidity  as  they  could  express  them  ;  how  it  has 
annihilated  time  and  space,  and  how  in  connection  with  the  steam  engine, 
and  the  printing  press  it  is  silently  and  slowly,  but  surely  performing  its 
part  in  working  out  the  civilization  and  progress  of  mankind.  Twenty 
years  ago  people  when  they  heard  what  would  now  be  considered  the  hum- 
ble claims  it  made  to  public  notice  treated  them  with  ridicule,  for  they 
could  not  conceive  it  possible  for  an  invisible,  impalpable  body,  more  subtle 
than  the  air  we  breathe,  to  carry  messages  with  the  speed  of  the  light- 
ning itself  over  a  distance  of  a  thousand  miles.  Where  now  is  the  skepti- 
cism with  which  it  was  received,  and  where  the  unbeliever  who  has  not 
been  converted  from  his  infidelity?  Not  more  than  eleven  years  have 
passed  since  the  first  electric  telegraph  was  estabhshed  between  Baltimore 
and  Washington,  and  now  our  country  is  intersected  by  a  perfect  net-work 
of  wires  extending  over  a  distance  of  forty-two  thousand  miles.  But  this 
is  not  all,  for  if  we  direct  our  attention  to  Europe,  we  will  find  that  there 
are  more  than  thirty  thousand  miles  of  it  in  operation  on  that  continent, 
making  altogether  for  the  Old  and  the  New  Worlds  a  total  of  over  seventy 
thousand  miles. 

But  while  the  success  of  the  telegraph  on  the  land  was  fully  estab- 
lished, the  water  appeared  to  present  an  insuperable  barrier  against  its 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  5. 

universal  dominion.  Every  attempt  to  manufacture  a  wire  which  would 
operate  in  that  element  with  the  same  facility  as  on  the  land  had  failed, 
and  the  most  sanguine  began  to  despair.  It  was  necessary  to  insulate  it 
with  some  material  which  would  protect  it  completely  from  the  water 
and  which  at  the  same  time  would  not  interfere  with  the  passage  of  the 
electric  current.  Every  thing  that  human  ingenuity  could  think  of  was 
tried,  and  after  several  years  of  unavailing  effort,  the  idea  was  abandoned. 
It  was  in  this  emergency  that  the  invaluable  properties  of  gutta  percha 
were  discovered  and  applied  with  perfect  success  in  its  manufacture,  and 
in  the  year  1851  the  first  Submarine  Telegraphic  Cable  was  laid  down 
between  the  Straits  of  Dover  and  Calais,  a  distance  of  twenty-four  miles. 
This  was  shortly  followed  by  others,  connecting  England  with  the  conti- 
nent ;  and,  as  we  have  seen,  during  the  present  war  the  Black  Sea  has 
been  crossed  with  a  cable  three  hundred  and  seventy-four  miles  long,  while 
another  will  soon  be  laid  across  the  Mediterranean  uniting  the  opposite 
shores  of  Europe  and  Africa. 

All  these,  gigantic  as  they  may  appear,  sink  into  insignificance,  how- 
ever, compared  with  that  grandest  of  all  projects  and  enterprizes,  the  union 
of  the  Old  world  with  the  New.  It  has  been  said  that  human  genius 
knows  no  limits,  and,  in  the  contemplation  of  this,  the  most  unbelieving 
must  admit  that  it  certainly  is  not  easily  discouraged  by  obstacles.  Who, 
looking  at  the  aggregate  results  of  science,  will  say  that  it  is  impossible, 
and  that  the  great  globe  itself  will  not  one  day  be  girdled  by  a  telegraphic 
belt  along  which  thought  shall  pass  with  a  speed  defying  calculation.  Ob- 
jections it  is  true  have  been  urged  against  its  practicability  ;  but  what 
great  enterprize  was  ever  yet  conceived  that  did  not  meet  with  the  opposi- 
tion of  those  who  are  always  ready  to  combat  every  new  principle,  either 
in  the  social,  the  political  or  scientific  world. 

It  is  not  our  intention,  however,  to  answer  those  objections  ;  the  sub- 


6'  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

ject  has  been  argued  long  enough,  and  the  controversy  can  only  be  termi- 
nated by  the  successful  issue  of  the  project.  Meanwhile  it  may  be  well  for 
us  to  state  here,  that  it  has  already  received  not  only  the  countenance, 
but  the  active  support  of  some  of  the  most  practical  men  in  the  United 
States,  France  and  England,  and  that  ten  millions  of  their  capital  have 
been  invested  in  the  enterprize.  The  Transatlantic  Submarine  Telegraph 
Company  have  bound  themselves  by  the  terms  of  their  charter  to  have  a 
cable  laid  between  Europe  and  America,  in  the  year  1858,  and  this  cable 
having  its  terminus  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Newfoundland,  will  be  con- 
nected with  a  land  line  extending  along  the  whole  southern  coast  of  that 
Island,  to  a  point  on  Cape  Ray  at  its  southwestern  extremity,  at  which 
point  another  will  be  laid  across  the  entrance  of  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence to  Cape  Breton.  A  capital  of  fifteen  hundred  thousand  dollars  is 
embarked  in  the  laying  of  the  line  on  the  American  side,  that  is,  across 
Newfoundland,  the  Gulf,  Cape  Breton  and  Prince  Edward's  Island  to 
Xew  Brunswick,  and  this,  it  is  expected,  will  be  completed  and  in  success- 
ful operation  in  the  Fall  of  1856.  The  capital  is  in  the  hands  of  another 
Association  entitled,  the  New  York,  Newfoundland  and  London  Telegraph 
Company.* 

The  laying  of  the  cable  across  the  Gulf,  perhaps  the  most  import- 
ant part  of  the  whole  enterprize,  should  have  been  accomplished  in 
August,  1855,  but  for  a  most  unfortunate  accident,  or  rather  series  of 
accidents,  which  have  postponed  the  work  for  another  year.  The  steamer 
James  Adger  was  engaged  to  tow  the  cable-ship  Sarah  L.  Bryant,  from 
Cape  Ray  to  Cape  Breton,  and  it  was  for  this  purpose  that  she  left  New 
5fork  on  the  day  stated  in  the  beginning  of  the  chapter.  It  was  intended 
by  the  Company  that  the  voyage  should  be  one  of  pleasure  as  well  as 

*  A  complete  history  of  the  enterprize  will  be  found  in  the  appendix 


TRIP  TO  NEWFOUNDLAND. 


SCKNE  ON  BOARD  THE  JAMES  ADGER. 

business,  and  they  accordingly  invited  a  large  party  of  their  friends  to 
whom  we  shall,  without  further  ceremony,  introduce  our  readers  : — 

Peter  Cooper,  Mrs.  Cooper,  Professor  S.  F.  B.  Morse,  Mrs.  Morse, 
Master  A.  B.  Morse,  Cyrus  W.  Field,  James  S.  Sluyter,  Robert  W.  Low- 
ber,  Mrs.  R.  W.  Lowber,  Miss  Ann  Redfield,  Rev.  Gardner  Spring,  Rev. 
D.  D.  Field,  Rev.  H.  M.  Field,  Mrs.  H.  M.  Field,  Miss  Gracie  Field,  Miss 
Alice  Field,  Miss  Allen  L.  Herndon,  Dr.  Lewis  A.  Sayre,  Mrs.  Lewis  A. 
Sayre,  David  A.  Sayre,  Wm.  M.  Swain,  Master  W.  J.  Swain,  John  Thom- 
Iqv,  Prof.  F.  Sheppard,  Bayard  Taylor,  Miss  Lizzie  Alger,  John  Conger, 


5  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Sherwood,  Mrs.  Ann  Palmer,  Mrs.  Edward  D.  Jones,  Miss 
Mary  Sterns,  Marshall  Brewer,  F.  N.  Gisbourne,  Chas.  T.  Middlebrook, 
John  Mullaly,  T.  W.  Strong,  D.  C.  Hitchcock,  S.  A.  Richards,  B.  F.  Ely, 
H.  W.  Barrou,  Geo.  H.  Brown,  A.  A.  Raven,  F.  O'Brien,  F.  H.  Palmer, 
J.  P.  Palmer,  Chas.  J.  Smith,  Dr.  P.  A.  Bruyere,  John  G.  Kip,  Chas.  H. 
Houghton,  J,  W.  Kennedy,  Francis  Winton,  L.  P.  Palmer,  Joseph  Jones, 
Miss  Cooper,  Robert  Russell. 

The  weather  on  the  morning  of  which  we  have  spoken  was  all  that 
could  be  desired ;  the  sun  shone  out  in  an  almost  cloudless  sky,  and  the 
light  breeze  that  rippled  the  surface  of  the  water  served  only  to  moderate 
the  intensity  of  the  summer's  heat.  Everything  seemed  to  favor  the 
enterprize,  and  the  crowd  that  thronged  the  deck  of  the  steamer  were 
buoyant  with  bright  and  hopeful  anticipations  of  the  future.  There  was 
an  unusual  bustle  on  Pier  No.  4,  North  River,  that  morning,  carriages 
came  dashing  down  with  heavy  luggage  and  light-hearted  passengers  ; 
every  body  was  in  every  body  else's  way  ;  people  stood  upon  each  other's 
toes  and,  strange  to  say,  smiled  good  humoredly  ;  porters  with  atlantean 
shoulders  carried  off"  trunks  and  portmanteaux  of  all  imaginable  shapes 
and  sizes,  and  deposited  them  in  the  most  out  of  the  way  places  ;  news- 
boys were  eagerly  soliciting  customers  for  the  morning  papers  ;  vend- 
ers of  light  literature  were  loud  in  their  praises  of  "  the  Blood  red 
Avenger,"  "  The  desperate  Burglar,  or  the  Miser's  Pate,'*  "  The  Bandit's 
Cave,  or  the  Robber's  Oath,"  and  a  host  of  other  works  equally  taking 
and  terrible  ;  friends  congratulated  friends,  and  wished  each  other  a  happy 
voyage  and  a  safe  return  ;  scientific  men  looked  graver  and  more  import- 
ant than  ever,  and  pronounced  their  opinion  for  the  hundredth  time  how 
"  that  cable "  should  be  laid  ;  and  loud  above  the  din  and  bustle  and 
confusion  rose  the  shrill  whistle  of  the  steam-pipe,  announcing  that  the 
moment  of  departure  was  near. 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  9 

"  Let  go  that  hauser  there,"  shouted  several  of  the  hands  as  they 
made  ready  to  start,  and  the  passengers,  who  had  till  this  time  been  in 
complete  possession  of  the  deck,  at  once  gave  way.  Then  there  was  a 
general  shaking  of  hands,  "  a  hurrying  to  and  fro,"  the  last  passenger 
arrived  on  board  after  losing  his  hat  and  cane  in  his  desperate  struggle  to 
be  in  time,  the  last  rope  was  unfastened,  the  steam  whistle  gave  out  its 
last  warning  note,  every  body  was  told  for  the  last  time  to  "  look  out," 
and  the  James  Adger  commenced  slowly  moving  out  into  the  river.  Three 
hearty  cheers  greeted  her  as  she  swung  loose  from  the  pier,  and  were 
repeated  again  and  again  as  we  swept  past.  A  salute  of  three  guns  was 
fired  from  her  bow,  which  was  responded  to  by  another  from  one  of 
Spofiford  &  Tileston's  Steamers,  and  the  United  States  Frigate,  Potomac, 
honored  the  company  and  the  enterprize  in  which  they  were  engaged,  as 
far  as  the  strict  rules  of  the  Navy  allowed,  by  running  up  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  to  her  peak.  Again  and  again  we  were  cheered  by  our  friends 
who  crowded  the  end  of  the  pier,  until  only  the  faint  echo  of  their  voices 
could  be  heard,  and  again  and  again  we  responded  with  a  rivalry  of  friend- 
ship that  was  determined  not  be  outdone. 

We  were  soon  under  full  headway  down  the  bay,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
our  friends  became  indistinguishable  in  the  lengthening  distance.  The  last 
we  saw  of  them  was  through  a  telescope,  and  there  they  still  stood  at  the 
end  of  the  pier  waving  their  adieus.  Gradually  we  lost  sight  of  the  large 
public  buildings,  and  then  the  city  itself  began  to  disappear  below  the 
horizon.  And  now  we  have  left  Staten  Island  behind  us,  and  sweeping 
past  Nevisink  are  out  on  the  open  sea. 

Our  first  night  on  the  water  was  marked  by  a  grand  display  of  celes- 
tial pyrotechnics  that  illuminated  the  whole  heavens,  and  converted  the 
liquid  element  through  which  we  ploughed  our  way  into  an  ocean  of  fire. 
It  appeared  as  if  the  powers  of  the  air  had  determined  to  signalize  our 


lO  A     T  R I  P     T  O      NEWFOUNDLAND, 

mission,  and  they  did  so  in  a  peculiarly  appropriate  manner.  The  scene 
was  one  of  those  which  could  never  be  forgotten.  During  the  evening  an 
electric  machine  was  brought  upon  the  upper  deck  and  it  was  there  when 
the  night  set  in.  Beside  it  sat  Professor  Morse,  its  inventor,  who  had 
been  explaining  the  principle  of  its  construction  to  the  company  but  a  few 
hours  before.  Here  and  there  were  little  groups,  some  on  the  bow,  some 
on  the  wheel-house,  and  others  scattered  about  the  deck  enjoying  them- 
selves in  pleasant  social  intercourse.  The  sweet  music  of  woman's  voice 
singing  some  favorite  melody  gave  a  new  attraction  to  the  scene.  At 
first  the  lightning  flashed  in  broad  sheets  along  the  horizon,  then  rapidly 
extending  towards  the  zenith  it  lit  up  the  sky  with  an  almost  dazzling  bril- 
liancy. From  behind  the  dense  heavy  masses  of  black  clouds  that  hung 
on  the  ocean's  verge  were  flung,  as  if  by  unseen  hands,  huge  balls  of  fire 
that  left  a  track  of  flame  to  mark  their  course  along  the  heavens.  At 
intervals  gigantic  fiery  serpents  darted  from  their  place  of  ambush,  writh- 
ing and  twisting  in  their  tortuous  way  through  the  ebon  vault  above,  and 
then  again  all  was  dark  as  midnight.  Gradually  the  clouds  spread  over 
the  sky  shutting  out  the  pale  and  twinkling  light  of  the  stars,  and 
the  flashes  of  lightning  became  more  vivid  and  more  frequent  until  the 
whole  heavens  was  one  mass  of  flame.  For  two  hours  did  we  gaze  on 
this  magnificent  spectacle,  until  the  heavy  drops  of  rain  warned  us  of  the 
coming  storm  and  drove  us  unwillingly  to  seek  shelter  from  its  fury. 

That  night  we  had  a  concert  in  the  after  cabin  at  which  every  body 
was  present,  and  in  which  all  who  had  voice  for  music  and  some  who  had 
not,  joined.  Some  of  the  best  airs  from  Robert  Le  Diable  and  other 
popular  operas,  were  sung  with  the  most  exquisite  taste  by  one  of  our 
lady  passengers,  and  then,  to  give  variety  to  the  entertainment,  we  had 
the  choicest  selection  from  Negro  Minstrelsy.  "  Robert  toi  que  j'airae," 
was  followed  by  the  "  Dandy  Broadway  Swell,"  and  "  The  Colored  Fancy 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND 


a 


SANBRO    LIGHT    OFF   HALIFAX. 


Ball,"  shared  the  applause  with  "  Come  per  me  Sereno."  The  sailor's 
farewell  to  his  lady-love  was  sung  by  a  votary  of  the  comic  muse,  and 
although  evidently  a  pathetic  subject,  and  one  in  which  the  aforesaid  fair 
one  and  her  "galliant"  lover  claimed  the  sympathy  of  the  hearers,  the 
tale  of  their  distress  was  heard  with  the  most  unfeeling  indiflference,  and 
the  end  of  each  verse  was  the  signal  for  an  outburst  of  laughter.  This 
from  a  company,  too,  that  should  have  known  better  was  as  Dogberry 
says,  "  most  tolerable  and  not  to  be  endured."  There  was  one  portion 
of  the  song  which  in  justice  to  the  composer  we  must  quote,  as  it  is  in 
its  way  a  perfect  gem,  and  will  serve  to  show  the  reader  at  a  glance 
the  sad  plight  of  the  lovers  : 

**  Wfiile  you  are  on  your  slientle  bed  ashleepin'  fast  ashleep, 
Zen  we  poor  jolly  sailor's  are  ploughing  on  ze  zeep." 


The  reader  will  perceive  from  this  that  the  song  is  slightly  foreign, 
and  that  "  the  Sweet  German  accent "  is  one  of  its  most  attractive  fea- 
tures. 

But  the  concert  like  all  other  sublunary  things  had  an  end,  and  all 


12  A     TRIPTO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

retired  for  the  night  to  dream  over  the  pleasing  scenes  and  incidents  of 
the  day.  The  strains  of  music  gradually  died  away,  the  merry  laughter 
of  the  gay  and  light-hearted  company  was  hushed,  and  the  only  sounds 
that  broke  the  stillness  of  the  night  were  the  monotonous  dash  of  the 
waves  and  the  ceaseless  din  and  clangor  of  the  mighty  machinery. 


VIEW    OF   HALIFAX    FROM   THE    FORT. 


CHAPTER    II. 

ITIEIEir  one  on  board  was  up  early  on  the  morning  of  the 
second  day  of  our  voyage,  and  as  all,  or  nearly  all,  had  escaped 
the  sea-sickness,  we  were  in  excellent  spirits.  The  air  was  fresh 
and  bracing,  and  if  the  thermometer  had  been  examined  it  would 
have  been  found  ten  or  fifteen  degrees  nearer  zero  than  on  the  previous 
day.  We  had  passed  Long  Island  during  the  night,  and  were  now  steam- 
ing at  a  rate  of  ten  knots  an  hour  through  the  Sound,  which  runs  between 
Nantucket  and  Martha's  Vineyard.  The  whole  company  were  on  deck 
enjoying  the  prospect  and  on  the  qui  vive  for  every  thing  that  was  novel 


14  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

or  exciting.  One  young  gentleman  who  had  evidently  been  under  the 
impression  that  he  was  somewhere  near  the  tropics,  made  his  appearance 
in  the  purest  kind  of  white,  but  after  a  few  minutes  exposure  to  the  cool 
sea  air  he  was  compelled  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  and  when  next  he  came 
on  deck  he  was  an  altered  man.  The  excitement  created  by  the  gentle- 
man in  white,  however,  soon  passed  over  and  every  body  was  looking  out 
for  the  next  new  wonder,  when  suddenly  our  ears  were  greeted  with  a 
well  known  sound  that  made  us  doubt  whether  we  were  really  on  the  open 
sea  and  not  in  the  streets  of  New  York.  At  first  we  would  not  trust  our 
senses,  but  after  listening  for  a  moment  we  were  assured  of  the  reality. 
There  was  no  mistaking  it — that  energetic  and  enterprizing  specimen  of 
humanity,  that  indispensable  member  of  society,  that  juvenile  representa- 
tive of  New  York  Democracy,  the  city  newsboy,  was  in  our  midst  selling 
the  morning  papers. 

"  Here  we  are — got  the  last  news  from  Europe — ^have  a  copy  sir  ?  " 
And  there  to  our  surprise  stood  one  of  our  fellow  passengers  with  a  huge 
bundle  of  papers  under  his  arm  and  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  eager 
applicants. 

"  Only  twenty-five  cents  a  copy,  gentlemen — ladies  half  price.  Out 
with  your  money,  no  time  to  be  lost — got  to  be  off"." 

Many  were  at  a  loss  to  know  where  he  was  going  to,  and  in  their 
earnest  inquiries  forgot  to  pay  him. 

"  Now  then,"  he  said,  "  turning  a  deaf  ear  to  their  questions — "  now 
I  have  got  only  one  copy  left  and  as  it  contains  the  very  latest  news,  I 
must  have  a  good  price  for  it." 

"  Put  it  up  at  auction,"  said  one  "  that  we  may  all  have  a  fair 
chance."  This  proposition  was  received  with  unanimous  approval,  and 
the  paper  was  accordingly  put  up  previous  to  being  knocked  down  to 
the  highest  bidder. 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  15 

"  Now  then  ladies  and  gentlemen  let  us  begin — no  time  to  be  lost," 
said  the  newsboy,  assuming  at  once  all  the  airs  of  an  auctioneer.  "  How 
much  is  bid — how  much — how  much  ?  " 

"  Half-a-dollar,"  said  the  first  bidder. 

"  Half-a-dollar  it  is,"  repeated  the  auctioneer,  "  half-a-dollar — af-af- 
af  a  dollar — af  a  doll-doll-dollar — who  bids  more.  Seventy-five  cents 
did  I  hear — I'm  certain  I  did,  if  my  ears  did  not  deceive  my  eyesight. 
That's  it  gentlemen,  I'm  glad  to  see  such  liberality  towards  the  daily  press, 
it  is  one  of  our  great  institutions  and  should  be  well  supported.  The 
daily  newspaper,  gentlemen,  "  he  continued  is  an  indispensable  institution — 
that  means  it  can't  be  done  without — it  is  the  palladium  of  our  liberties 
and  must  be  supported  by  every  lover  of  his  country.  How  much  do  you 
bid  for  the  paper — how  much  for  the  paper,  how  much. — I  certainly  heard 
a  bid — a  dollar  it  was — it  was  a  dollar,  I  was  not  mistaken.  Who  said 
it  was  not  worth  a  cent  ?  " 

"  It's  an  old  paper — nothing  in  it,"  said  one  of  the  crowd. 

"  Nothing  in  it,  nothing  in  it,"  he  indignantly  replied,  spreading  out 
the  paper  to  its  fullest  extent.  "  Did  you  hear  that  gentlemen — did  you 
hear  that.  None  so  blind  as  those  who  won't  see,  I  will  make  you  or 
any  other  gentlemen  a  present  of  it,"  he  continued,  "  if  you'll  read  it  all 
through  without  stopping." 

It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  this  liberal  offer  was  not  accepted, 
and  the  auctioneer  went  on  to  sell  his  paper  without  further  interruption. 
He  finally  ran  it  up  to  a  thousand  dollars  for  which  he  received  a  check 
on  one  of  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland  which  was  to  be  paid  on  presenta- 
tion— with  a  hook. 

Just  as  our  friend  got  through  with  his  last  paper  eight  o'clock  was 
struck  by  the  ship's  bell,  and  immediately  after  we  were  summoned  to 
breakfast  by  the  steward.      The  attendance  in   newspaper  phraseology 


16  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

"  was  very  numerous  and  the  deepest  interest  was  manifested  in  the  pro- 
ceedings"— every  individual  present  felt  that  he  had  "a  stake"  in  the 
affair,  which  might  be  materially  damaged  by  his  absence.  All  were  in 
favor  of  action  and  all  felt  that  on  that  occasion  silence  was  mighty  but 
language  was  weak, — in  fact  such  was  the  impression  made  upon  them  that 
they  were  soon  "  too  full  for  words."  Some  very  good  things  were  said 
however,  and  every  one  was  both  pointed  and  cutting  in  their  treatment 
of  the  matter  under  discussion.  In  due  time  when  all  were  satisfied  that 
it  had  received  full  justice,  several  motions  were  made — to  the  door,  and 
soon  after  the  whole  company  adjourned. 

The  remainder  of  the  day  was  spent  in  various  ways,  as  individual 
taste  and  feeling  prompted — some  read  the  papers  and  some  didn't  ; 
others  amused  themselves  in  looking  at  the  whales  which  were  spouting 
like  temperance  orators  ;  others  again  performed  astounding  gymnastic 
feats  among  the  rigging,  and  when  the  night  came  and  "  darkness  rested 
on  the  face  of  the  deep "  we  had  another  concert,  which  it  is  suflQcient 
to  say,  passed  off  as  successfully  as  the  first.  But  the  weather  which  up 
to  this  time,  was  very  favorable,  changed  on   the  following  morning. 

We  had  been  for  some  time  off  the  bleak  and  rugged  coast  of  Nova 
Scotia,  and  the  heavy  sea  which  generally  prevails  here  wrought  a 
remarkable  change  in  the  majority  of  our  passengers.  They  began  to  be 
deeply  affected  by  the  "  bounding  waves,"  and  their  feelings  can  be  bet- 
ter imagined  than  described.  There  was  a  general  want  of  confidence 
and  each  went  to  his  state  room  to  divine  what  the  cause  of  it  could  be  ; 
but  as  it  was  a  subject  that  required  "  a  mighty  deal  of  nice  consider- 
ation "  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  if  it  took  a  long  time  before  it  was 
satisfactorily  settled.  It  might  be  well,  however,  to  say  that  while  in  this 
state  of  feeling  we  felt  we  had  no  stomach  for  any  thing.  This  was  the 
third  day  of  our  voyage,  and  as  we  had  intended  to  put  into  Halifax 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 


It 


on  our  way  to  Newfoundland,  we  were  anxiously  looking  out  for  Sanbro 
light  which  stands  at  the  entrance  to  its  harbor.  A  heavy  fog,  however, 
settled  on  the  ocean,  and  although  but  a  few  miles  from  the  port  we  were 
obliged  to  put  to  sea  and  remain  out  till  the  following  morning.  During 
that  night  we  were  in  imminent  danger  of  a  collision  with  another  vessel, 
and  but  for  the  vigilance  of  our  captain  who  never  left  his  post,  there 
might  have  been  another  Artie  calamity  to  record. 


GATE   MADE   FROM   THE   JAW-B0NE3   OF   A   \rHALE. 


About  nine  o^clock  we  could  see  Sanbro  light  and  in  another  hour 
were  steaming  past  it  on  our  way  into  the  harbor  of  Halifax.  Our  visit 
lasted  much  longer  than  we  expected  in  consequence  of  some  unavoidable 
delay.  We  made  the  best  use  of  our  time  however,  and  before  leaving 
saw  a  considerable  portion  of  the  city.  Like  true  Yankees  the  moment 
our  ship  touched  the  wharf  we  jumped  ashore  and  were  pursuing  our 
investigations  in  every  quarter.    We  scattered  ourselves  over  the  city  in 


18  *      TRIP     TO      NEWFOUNDLAND. 

every  direction,  engaged  all  the  carriages  we  could  find  and  in  a  ride  of  a 
few  hours  obtained  a  tolerably  clear  idea  of  its  character  and  condition. 
Some  of  our  party  visited  the  Boscawen,  the  flag-ship  of  Admiral  Fan- 
shaw  of  the  British  Navy,  others  took  a  boat  and  passed  a  portion  of 
their  time  rowing  about  the  harbor,  while  others,  made  their  way  into  the 
fort  where  they  were  entertained  with  much  courtesy  by  two  of  the  offi- 
cers. A  rather  amusing  incident  occurred  during  our  visit  to  the  fort, 
which  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  relate  here.  Three  or  four  of  our 
friends  who  were  in  advance  of  us  had  obtained  admission  through  the 
kindness  of  one  of  the  officers  who  happened  to  be  at  the  entrance  when 
they  drove  up,  and  were  on  the  ramparts  when  we  made  our  appearance. 
The  moment  they  saw  us,  one  of  the  party  called  out  in  a  stentorian  voice 
and  invited  us  to  come  in. 

"  Come  right  in,"  said  he  ;  "  no  trouble  at  all  ;  just  drive  through 
the  gate." 

Supposing  that  was  all  we  had  to  do,  we  told  the  driver  to  go  ahead, 
but  just  as  we  got  to  the  entrance,  the  sentry  demanded  our  pass,  and  as 
we  could  not  produce  the  required  document,  he  obstinately  persisted  in 
refusing  us  admission. 

"  Oh,  step  right  in,"  exclaimed  our  friend  above  ;  "  don't  mind  him — 
that's  all  right — come  in.'- 

We  made  another  effort,  but  the  soldier  placed  his  musket  across  our 
path,  and  as  the  matter  now  presented  a  somewhat  serious  aspect,  we  de- 
sisted in  our  attempts.  Our  friend  on  the  rampart  was  rather  dissatisfied, 
and  still  continued  his  entreaties  not  to  "  mind  him,  but  to  drive  right 
in."  In  accordance  with  the  advice  of  another  soldier,  we  obtained  the 
required  ticket  of  admission  from  the  Town  Major,  and  passed  the  sentry 
without  further  trouble,  much  to  the  gratification  of  our  friend,  who  after- 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND 


19 


HARBOR   OF   PORT    AU    uASQUE. 


wards  told  us  that  he  would  have  got  into  the  fort  in  spite  of  "  that  fel- 
low with  the  red  coat." 

As  many  of  us  could  not  return  to  the  vessel  in  time  for  dinner,  we 
went  into  one  of  the  first  hotels  in  the  city  and  gave  orders  to  the  land- 
lord to  prepare  it  for  us. 

"  Well  gentlemen,"  said  he,  "  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?  " 

"  We  want  some  dinner,"  replied  one  of  our  party. 

"  Dinner  isn't  ready  yet,  and  won't  be  ready  for  two  hours." 

"  Ah  yes.  Well  then  you  can  let  us  have  a  beef  steak,  or  a  mutton 
chop,  or  anything  of  that  kind." 

"  Yery  sorry,  sir,"  replied  the  landlord  with  a  gracious  smile,  "  very 
sorry,  but  there  is  nothing  of  that  kind  till  dinner  is  ready.  Let  me  see," 
he  added,  and  his  eyes  brightened  up  as  if  he  had  been  struck  by  a  happy 
idea — "  let  me  see — yes — oh  bless  my  soul  !  yes  ;  I  nearly  forgot — what 
was  I  thinking  about  ?  Yes,  gentlemen,  I  can  let  you  have  some  cheese 
and  ale." 

We  expected  from  his  enthusiastic  manner  that  he  would  wind  up 
by  informing  us  that  he  had  a  cold  roast  turkey,  or  duck,  or  joint  of  beef, 
but  when  his  enthusiasm  reached  its  climax  and  we  found  that  it  had  no 


20  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

better  basis  to  rest  upon  than  cheese  and  ale,  we  left  in  disgust  and  with 
a  hearty  wish  that  we  were  in  New  York  again,  if  it  were  only  for  half 
an  hour. 

In  this  dilemma  we  went  into  the  first  confectionary  we  could  find, 
and  in  lieu  of  something  more  substantial,  regaled  ourselves  on  cakes  and 
ice-cream.  As  we  had  but  little  time  to  spare,  these  were  dispatched  in  a 
hurry,  and  one  of  our  number  proceeded  with  equal  haste  to  pay  the 
keeper  of  the  store. 

"  What  is  this  ?  "  she  inquired  taking  up  a  five  dollar  piece  that  he 
had  thrown  on  the  counter." 

"  Five  dollars,"  he  answered. 

"  Dear  me,  yes,  I  should  certainly  have  known  it.  Now,  sir,  I'll  get 
you  your  change." 

And  calling  one  of  her  assistants  told  her  to  run  up  stairs  and  get 
all  the  silver  she  could  find. 

"  Now  sir,"  she  added  turning  to  him,  I  shall  give  you  your  change 
in  a  few  minutes." 

About  five  minutes  after  the  assistant  came  into  the  store  with  both 
hands  full  of  silver,  and  told  her  that  was  all  the  change  to  be  found.  It 
took  at  least  five  minutes  more  to  count  it  and  when  that  arduous  task  was 
accomphshed  she  divided  the  silver  into  three  piles,  one  of  which  we  no- 
ticed was  considerably  smaller  than  the  other  two. 

"  Now,  sir,"  she  said,  calling  his  attention  to  the  money  with  the  air  of  a 
juggler  about  to  perform  some  wonderful  feat  of  necromancy — "  Now  it's 
all  right — now  you'll  see.  This,"  she  continued,  pointing  to  one  of  the 
piles,  "  is  for  the  ice-cream  and  cakes,  and  this,"  pointing  to  another,  "  is 
for  me,  and  that,"  pushing  the  third  and  smallest  pile  towards  our  friend, 
"  is  for  you." 

We  were  unable  to  discover  by  what  right  she  claimed  a  portion  for 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 


21 


ENTRANCE    TO    ST.    JOHN  8,    N.    F. 


herself  apart  from  that  paid  for  the  ice  cream  and  cakes,  and  endeavored  to 
argue  the  matter  with  her,  but  finding  it  impossible  to  arrive  at  any  un- 
derstanding, we  left  with  the  determination  not  to  indulge  any  more  in  such 
expensive  luxuries  in  Halifax. 

Our  experience  here,  however,  put  us  a  little  more  on  the  alert,  and 
we  resolved  that  it  would  be  the  last  imposition.  An  opportunity  soon 
offered  of  putting  our  resolution  to  the  test.  Three  or  four  of  our  company 
had  engaged  a  carriage  to  drive  them  round  the  city,  and  did  not  perceive 
till  some  time  after  they  got  into  it  that  the  horse  could  with  difficulty  drag 
himself  along,  not  to  speak  of  the  vehicle.  As  they  were  going  up  the  hill 
on  which  the  fort  was  situated,  they  were  obliged  to  get  out  and  push  both 
horse  and  carriage  before  them,  which  they  succeeded  in  doing  after  fifteen 
minutes  hard  work.  But  if  the  horse  was  unable  to  go  up  the  hill,  he  went 
down  it  with  a  speed  that  was  aiiything  but  pleasant,  and  exhibited  such  a 
strong  desire  to  run  into  holes  and  gullies  that  the  passengers  often  wished 


£2  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

themselves  safe  at  the  bottom.  For  this  perilous  ride  the  driver  asked  five 
dollars,  although  he  had  not  been  more  than  an  hour  employed.  Our  fel- 
low-passengers thought  this  rather  too  much  for  the  privilege  of  push- 
ing a  horse  and  carriage  up  a  hill,  and  they  concluded  not  to  pay  any- 
thing till  the  driver  became  a  little  more  reasonable  in  his  demands.  As 
he  insisted,  however,  on  being  paid  five  dollars,  and  as  they  were  unwilling 
to  be  imposed  upon,  the  case  was  brought  before  a  magistrate  who  fined 
him  for  his  dishonesty. 

The  people,  as  we  have  said,  were  not  a  little  astonished  at  the  pecu- 
liarities of  the  Yankees,  and  they  certainly  had  cause  for  astonishment. 
We  had  hardly  entered  the  dock  before  half  a  dozen  lines  were  thrown 
over  the  stern  and  sides  of  our  vessel,  and  as  many  of  our  passengers  were 
busily  engaged  in  fishing.  Among  these,  too,  unaccountable  as  it  might 
appear  to  the  natives,  was  a  man  whose  fame  has  extended  all  over  the 
civilized  world,  and  who  already  occupies  a  position  in  history  beside  the 
greatest  scientific  discoverers  of  all  nations.  There,  with  his  son,  a  bright 
little  boy  of  seven  or  eight  years,  he  amused  himself  catching  fish,  in  which 
it  may  be  gratifying  to  his  friends  to  know  that  he  was  most  successful,  as 
the  large  number  which  lay  beside  him  on  the  deck  afforded  abundant  evi- 
dence. The  Halifaxians  do  not  possess  a  superabundance  of  energy  or  eu- 
terprize,  and  enthusiasm  seems  to  be  a  quality  of  which  they  are  utterly 
destitute.  In  fact  from  what  we  saw  of  them  they  appear  to  be  too  phleg- 
matic to  take  an  active  interest  in  anything,  and  it  was  only  with  the  great- 
est effort  that  they  succeeded  in  raising  three  cheers  for  us  at  our  depar- 
ture. It  is  said  that  they  actually  commenced  a  railroad  from  their  city 
without  the  slightest  idea  as  to  where  it  should  terminate,  and  the  work 
remains  unfinished  up  to  the  present  time.  When  our  vessel  reached  the 
dock  we  found  about  a  hundred  persons  assembled  on  the  pier  who  gazed 
at  us  with  the  most  listless  curiosity,  and  as  we  looked  at  them  we  could 


A     TRIP     TO     N  E  W  r  0  U  N  D  L  A  N  F/ 


23 


"VIEW   OF   ST.    JOHN  S   FROM   TOPSAIL   ROAD. 


not  help  contrasting  them  with  the  citizens  of  the  great  metropolis  we  had 
left.  Had  a  Tessel  arrived  at  New  York  under  similar  circumstances  one 
half  its  population  would  have  crowded  to  see  it.  Everything  seemed  to 
be  at  least  half  a  century  behind  the  age.  The  city  itself  had  a  most  deso- 
late, wo-begone  aspect,  and  looked  as  if  two-thirds  of  its  inhabitants  had 
gone  to  sleep.  It  would  be  difficult  to  account  in  any  other  way  for  the 
deserted  appearance  of  the  streets,  as  its  population  is  set  down  at  twenty- 
five  thousand.  The  piers,  which  are  constructed  on  piles  like  those  in  our 
own  city,  had  the  same  deserted  look  ;  the  warehouses  along  the  wharves 
were  generally  closed,  and  even  the  dwellings  seemed  to  be  uninhabited. 
All  the  children  we  saw  appeared  to  be  in  the  greatest  affliction,  and  were 
crying  as  if  their  little  hearts  would  break.  The  houses  too,  as  a  general 
thing,  have  a  rather  uninviting  appearance,  and  although  we  found  many 
of  them  open,  we  were  never  strongly  tempted  to  enter  them.     They  are 


24  ATRIPTO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

very  old  fashioned,  are  constructed  mostly  of  wood,  and  are  particularly  re- 
markable for  the  great  height  of  their  roofs.  In  fact,  some  of  them  ap- 
pear to  be  all  roof,  so  entirely  out  of  proportion  does  this  part  of  them 
seem,  in  comparison  with  the  walls.  There  are,  however,  two  or  three 
respectable  looking  public  edifices,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  the 
Province  Building,  in  which  is  the  Hall  of  Representatives,  constituting 
the  House  of  Delegates  and  the  Legislative  Council  Chamber.  In  the  lat- 
ter apartment  are  full  length  portraits  of  George  II.,  George  III.,  Wil- 
liam TV.,  Queen  Caroline,  Queen  Charlotte,  Judge  Blower  and  Chief  Jus- 
tice Haliburton,  all  of  which,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  are  well  painted. 
This  edifice  is  built  of  a  rich  brown,  close  grained  sandstone,  and  in  the 
Ionic  order  of  architecture,  with  a  double  front,  each  facing  one  of  the 
lateral  streets.  The  whole  edifice  has  an  extent  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
feet  by  seventy,  and  is  about  seventy  feet  in  height.  The  chambers  in 
which  both  branches  of  the  Legislature  assemble  are  much  inferior  to 
those  in  which  the  Common  Council  of  New  York  hold  their  meetings, 
and  the  building,  as  a  whole,  is  unworthy  of  comparison  with  the  City 
Hall. 

The  harbor,  of  which  the  Nova  Scotians  feel  justly  proud,  is  one  of 
the  finest  in  the  world,  and  is  capable  of  floating  the  largest  vessels  of 
war.  A  large  island,  called  after  its  owner,  Mr.  McNab,  protects  the 
entrance  from  the  waves  of  the  ocean,  which,  during  storms,  break  with 
resistless  force  upon  its  shores.  St.  George's  is  the  name  of  another,  but 
a  much  smaller  island,  which  lies  farther  up  in  the  harbor,  and  which 
belongs  to  the  government.  It  is  about  two  miles  in  circumference,  and 
its  centre  is  occupied  by  a  fort  and  a  martello  tower,  both  of  which,  it  is 
said  would  be  alone  sufiicient  to  prevent  the  passage  of  a  hostile  fleet.  A 
short  distance  from  this  island,  not  more  than  half  a  mile  at  the  farthest, 
stands  the  city,  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  commanding  a  magnificent  view  of 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  25 

the  harbor.  A  large  and  almost  impregnable  fort  has  been  constructed 
on  the  summit  of  this  hill,  or  we  should  rather  say,  is  in  process  of  con- 
struction, as  it  was  not  completed  at  the  time  of  our  visit. 

On  the  eastern  shore  of  the  harbor  of  Halifax,  and  opposite  the  city, 
is  a  little  town  called  Dartmouth,  with  which  constant  communication  is 
kept  up  by  a  small  steamboat,  that  runs  every  hour  or  half  hour  between 
the  two  places.  It  was  founded  a  few  years  after  Halifax,  in  IT 50  ;  but 
its  inhabitants  having  been  driven  out  or  massacred  by  the  Indians,  it 
was  re-built  in  1184  by  several  families  from  Nantucket,  who  carried  on 
the  whale  fishery  there  with  great  success. 

Although  Halifax  has  a  very  unattractive  appearance  to  a  New 
Yorker,  its  history  is  full  of  incidents  of  a  most  interesting,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  of  a  painful  character.  The  horrible  and  unjustifiable  expatri- 
ation of  the  Acadians,  which  is  described  in  such  glowing  language  by 
Bancroft,  has  given  to  it,  in  common  with  other  parts  of  Nova  Scotia,  an 
undying  interest.  Ten  thousand  were  driven  into  exile,  and  those  who 
refused  to  leave  their  homes  and  who  escaped  from  their  oppressors, 
had  their  dwellings  and  even  their  houses  of  worship  burned  before 
their  eyes. 

We  saw  while  here  several  negroes  who  appeared  to  be  on  terms  of 
perfect  equality  with  the  white  population,  that  is,  of  course,  with  persons 
in  their  own  condition  of  life.  Those  who  have  settled  in  Nova  Scotia  are 
principally  from  the  United  States,  with  a  few  from  the  West  Indies. 
During  our  war  with  England,  Sir  Alexander  Cochrane,  who  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  British  squadron,  brought  away  a  great  many  negroes  with 
him,  from  Maryland  and  Virginia,  after  ravaging  the  shores  of  the  Chesa- 
peake. These  were  made  free  on  their  arrival  at  Nova  Scotia,  although 
judging  from  the  condition  of  many  I  saw,  their  change  from  a  state  of 
servitude  to  that  of  British  freedom  did  not  improve  them  much. 


26  ATRIPTO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

About  half  past  seven  o'clock,  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  we 
arrived,  we  left  Halifax,  after  giving  the  few  who  were  on  the  pier  three 
cheers  twice  repeated,  and  winding  up  with  a  Xew  York  "  tiger."  We 
succeeded  in  infusing  something  like  enthusiasm  into  the  people,  who 
responded  with  more  heart  than  we  gave  them  credit  for  possessing.  In 
less  than  two  hours  we  were  again  out  on  the  open  §ea,  and  making  our 
way  to  Port  au  Basque  where  we  expected  to  find  the  cable-ship,  Sarah 
L.  Bryant. 


CATHOLIC    CATUEDRAL,    ST.    JOHNS, 


CHAPTER    III. 

ISL'Wi  night  of  our  departure  from  Halifax  was  the  finest  we 
had  since  we  left  New  York.  There  was  hardly  a  ripple  on 
the  bosom  of  the  ocean  in  which  the  twinkling  light  of  myriads 
of  stars  was  reflected  as  in  a  vast  mirror.  Meteors  of  won- 
drous brilliancy  shot  athwart  the  heavens,  leaving  behind  them  a  long 
train  of  light  that  dimmed  the  pale  lustre  of  the  stars.  For  hours  we 
sat  on  the  deck  watching  their  movements,  until  sleep  pressing  heavily 
on  our  eyelids  warned  us  that  it  was  time  to  bring  our  astronomical  obser- 
vations to  a  close. 

The  iron  bound  coast  of  Cape  Breton  was  visible  throughout  the 
whole  of  Saturday,  and  as  it  was  evident  that  we  could  not  reach  our 
place  of  destination  before  Sunday,  we  thought  of  putting  into  Louisburg, 


28  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

which  was  formerly  one  of  the  finest  and  most  flourishing  ports  on  the 
Island.  It  was  built  by  the  Acadians  in  1120,  and  was  defended  by 
strong  fortifications.  During  the  war  between  the  English  and  French  in 
1745,  it  was  attacked  by  a  large  force  of  Colonists  from  Massachusetts, 
who  succeeded  after  a  desperate  struggle  of  forty-five  days  in  getting  it 
into  their  possession.  The  siege  for  the  numbers  engaged,  was  one  of  the 
most  obstinate  and  bloody  on  record,  and  caused  a  loss  of  four  thousand 
lives  on  both  sides.  The  city  is  at  present  in  a  most  ruinous  condition, 
and  as  there  appears  to  be  no  intention  on  the  part  of  its  present  posses- 
sors, the  English,  to  rebuild  it,  it  is  destined  to  remain  in  that  state  for 
the  next  half  century  at  least. 

Early  on  Sunday  morning,  the  12th  of  August,  we  came  within  sight 
of  Newfoundland,  and  as  may  be  supposed,  there  was  considerable  excite- 
ment on  board.  There  it  lay  like  a  dark  cloud  on  the  horizon,  and  there 
were  sage  speculations  among  those  who  professed  to  be  learned  in 
nautical  matters,  as  to  whether  it  was  really  a  cloud  or  the  Island  itself. 
Grave  arguments  were  held  on  the  subject  always  terminating,  however, 
with  the  unsatisfactory  conclusion  of  "  wait  and  you'll  see,"  which  we  all 
philosophically  concluded  to  do  as  it  was  the  only  course  left.  Gradually 
the  cloudy  indistinctness  of  the  land  disappeared,  and  as  the  more  prominent 
points  of  the  coast  became  visible,  not  a  soul  could  be  found  who  did'nt 
believe  it  was  real,  genuine,  hona  fide  terra  firma  from  the  very  commence- 
ment. About  five  hours  before  we  reached  Port  an  Basque,  where  it 
was  expected  we  would  find  the  Cable  Ship,  the  bold  promontory  of  Cape 
Ray,  which  is  the  extreme  southwestern  limit  of  Newfoundland,  was 
visible  from  the  deck  of  the  steamer.  All  the  telescopes  on  board  were 
brought  into  requisition,  opera  glasses  were  in  great  demand,  and  those 
who  were  not  so  fortunate  as  to  possess  either,  strained  their  eyes  looking 
through  spectacles  and  spy  glasses  in  the  vain  hope  that  they  would  see 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  29 

something  like  a  ship  twenty  miles  off,  and  firmly  believing  that  that  ship 
when  found  would  be  the  very  one  we  were  in  search  of.  We  could  per- 
ceive the  fishermen's  huts  when  within  a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles,  but 
no  vessel  except  a  few  fishing  smacks  greeted  our  anxious  gaze.  It  was 
suggested  that  as  a  portion  of  the  harbor  was  hidden  from  the  view  by 
high  rocks  she  might  not  be  visible  from  sea ;  but  even  that  hope  was 
dispelled  when  we  arrived  at  its  entrance.  Two  schooners  were  lying  at 
anchor  there,  but  the  cable-ship  had  not  made  her  appearance  although 
they  were  expecting  her  arrival  over  two  weeks.  A  vessel  was  seen  on 
the  morning  of  Saturday  answering  to  the  description  of  our  ship  standing 
off  Port  au  Basque  ;  it  was  blowing  so  hard  however,  and  the  wind  was 
so  adverse  that  she  was  obliged  to  put  to  sea  again. 

This  was  a  great  disappointment  as  the  weather  was  most  favorable 
for  the  laying  of  the  cable  and,  as  we  intended  to  begin  work  at  the 
earliest  hour  on  Monday  morning.  In  this  dilemma  we  could  do  nothing 
but  either  await  the  arrival  of  the  Sarah  L.  Bryant,  or  go  direct  to  St. 
John's  which  we  intended  to  visit  before  our  return  to  New  York,  pay  our 
respects  while  there  to  the  authorities  of  Newfoundland,  and  after  a  brief 
stay,  call  at  Port  au  Basque  again  where  it  was  confidently  expected  we 
would  find  the  object  of  our  search  if  she  had  not  foundered  at  sea.  We 
lay  outside  the  harbor  three  or  four  hours  to  land  some  articles  which 
were  required  in  the  construction  of  the  telegraph  at  that  point.  Some 
of  the  members  of  the  Company  went  ashore  where  they  were  met  by 
Mr.  Canning,  an  experienced  engineer  from  London,  who  was  engaged 
to  superintend  the  laying  of  the  cable.  He  confirmed  what  we  had  heard 
about  a  vessel  having  been  seen  off  the  coast  the  day  before. 

As  our  stay  here  was  very  brief,  and  as  many  of  us  only  saw  the  land 
from  the  deck  of  our  steamer,  we  could  form  no  correct  idea  of  its  charac- 
ter.    It  had  a  wild,  bleak  and  inhospitable  look,  however,  and  the  account 


30  ATRIPTO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

that  our  pilot,  who  had  visited  it  frequently,  gave  us  of  it  was  anything 
but  pleasing.  It  was,  he  said,  nothing  but  rock  and  bog,  interspersed  here 
and  there  with  deep  holes  and  quagmires,  into  which,  he  jokingly  informed 
us,  it  would  be  much  easier  to  get  than  to  come  out.  But  after  all,  the 
majestic  hills  that  towered  to  the  height  of  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the 
ocean,  the  huge  masses  of  rocks  that  lined  the  coast,  and  the  restless  sea 
whose  waves  broke  in  foam  at  their  feet  imparted  to  the  scene  a  sublimity 
that  all  the  bogs,  and  quagmires,  and  holes  could  not  affect.  Our  pilot, 
too,  told  us  strange  stories  and  incidents  of  the  place  which  gave  it  an  ad- 
ditional interest  in  our  eyes.  As  might  be  supposed  from  the  name,  it  was 
colonized  by  the  French,  and  although  now  in  possession  of  the  English, 
it  still  retains  some  traces  of  its  French  origin.  One  of  the  stories  related 
by  our  pilot,  is  so  romantic,  that  we  feel  certain  our  readers  will  justify 
us  in  giving  it  a  place  here.  We  must  premise,  however,  that  it  was 
given  to  us  not  merely  as  a  romance,  but  a  matter  of  history,  and  that 
there  are  many  living  in  France  who  can  testify  to  the  particulars,  al- 
though it  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  exact  locality  where  they  live  has 
not  been  made  known  to  us.  Although  not  told  in  the  very  words  of  our 
informant,  we  have  endeavored  to  set  forth  the  facts,  circumstances,  and 
incidents  with  a  due  respect  to  historical  accuracy. 

When  the  Revolution  of  1189  swept  over  France,  scattering  its  noblest 
families  on  every  side  like  withered  leaves  before  the  breath  of  autumn, 
there  came  to  Port  au  Basque  a  French  emigre  accompanied  by  his  wife 
and  child.  What  could  have  induced  them  to  take  up  their  abode  on  that 
inhospitable  shore,  was  a  matter  of  wondering  conjecture  to  the  simple- 
minded  fishermen  who  dwelt  there,  for  Monsieur  de  Saint  Maur  had  no 
occupation  ;  he  neither  made  nor  mended  nets,  nor  built  boats,  nor  caught 
fish  ;  in  short,  he  was  supremely  ignorant  of  all  the  little  arts  that  in  their 
opnion,  made  up  the  sum  of    earthly  knowledge.      But  as  weeks  and 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 


GOVERNMENT   HOUSE,    ST.    JOHNS. 

months  passed  over,  the  surprise  excited  by  the  first  appearance  of  the 
strangers  deepened  into  interest,  and  the  kindness  of  Madame  de  Saint  Manr 
and  the  beauty  and  childish  grace  of  little  Adele  were  the  theme  of  all, 
and  won  the  hearts  of  the  unsophisticated  people  among  whom  they 
lived.  Dearly  did  the  little  girl  love  these  kind-hearted  and  simple- 
minded  people  ;  but  the  wild  and  desolate  character  of  Port  au  Bas- 
que, its  barren  soil  on  which  a  few  hardy  wild  flowers  struggled  to 
exist,  and  the  sullen  roar  of  the  mighty  ocean  that  broke  in  foam  along 
the  rock-bound  shore,  made  her  pine  for  the  sunny  skies  and  vine-clad 
hills  of  her  own  beloved  France. 

Often  of  a  summer's  eve  would  Monsieur  de  Saint  Maur  take  his 
child  on  his  knee,  and,  pointing  eastward,  tell  her  stories  of  the  land 
they  loved,  yet  left  ;  of  its  historic  glories  and  its  genial,  gay  and  gallant 
people.  How  vividly  were  those  evenings  remembered  in  after  years  when 
the  father  who  had  dwelt  so  fondly  on  his  theme,  and  the  mother  who 
sighed  and  smiled  while  she  listened,  had  passed  away  from  earth. 

Fortunately  for  Adele  before  that  melancholy  event  occurred,  a  friend 


32  A     TRIP     TO      NEWFOUNDLAND. 

and  compatriot  of  her  father  settled  in  Port  au  Basque,  and  to  his  care 
Monsieur  de  Saint  Maur  when  dying  confided  his  beloved  child.  Never 
was  confidence  better  placed  ;  and  in  time  Adele  transferred  the  love  she 
had  felt  for  her  father  to  him  who  was  father,  friend,  instructor,  all  in  one. 
Fresh  and  beauteous  "  as  the  morning  rose  when  the  dew  wets  its  leaves," 
she  grew  up  in  that  humble  cottage  by  the  sea  side,  her  monotonous  life 
chequered  by  no  incident  more  exciting  than  the  annual  return  of  the  fish- 
ing season. 

One  morning  the  fleet  of  boats  had  just  put  out  to  sea,  and  Adele  sat 
watching  them  till  the  last  had  disappeared  beyond  the  entrance  of  the 
harbor.  The  sea  was  calm  and  unruffled,  the  sky  bright  overhead,  and 
where  the  slanting  sunlight  fell,  the  water  shone  and  sparkled  in  liquid 
effulgence.  It  was  a  day  of  happy  omen,  and  the  fishermen's  wives  turned 
from  the  beach  to  attend  to  their  household  duties  with  happy  hearts  ; 
but  ere  the  sun  went  down  the  aspect  of  the  heavens  underwent  a  total 
change  ;  the  sky  became  overcast,  heavy  masses  of  black  clouds  loomed 
above  the  horizon  while  others  torn  in  fragments  were  swept  like  mist  be- 
fore the  wind. 

During  the  night  the  storm  increased  in  violence,  and  to  add  to  the 
horrors  of  the  scene  there  was  heard  amid  the  pauses  of  the  wind  a  signal 
gun — the  passing  bell  of  some  ill-fated  vessel.  There  was  no  one  in  the 
village  to  give  assistance  had  it  been  practicable,  and  the  vessel  unable  to 
withstand  the  fury  of  the  storm,  went  to  pieces,  only  two  of  the  passengers 
escaping  with  their  lives.  They  were  washed  on  shore  in  an  exhausted 
condition  and  owed  their  lives  to  the  perseverance  of  Monsieur  Blanc, 
Adele's  guardian,  who  continued  his  exertions  after  others  had  given  up 
in  despair. 

The  two  men  saved  from  the  wreck  were  father  and  son,  members  of 
a  n  ble  French  family,  the  father  bound  on  a  mission  of  diplomacy  to  the 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  33 

United  States,  the  son  a  distinguished  officer  in  Napoleon's  army.  Mon- 
sieur Blanc  had  them  conveyed  to  his  own  residence,  and  there,  thanks 
to  Adele's  unremitting  care,  they  soon  recovered.  While  the  emigre  of 
'8*7  listened  with  insatiable  avidity  to  the  marvels  told  him  by  the  diploma- 
tist of  the  Consulate  of  which  only  the  broken  echo  had  reached  his  place 
of  refuge,  the  young  soldier  related  to  Adele  stories  of  the  ItaUan  cam- 
paign, and  dwelt  with  enthusiasm  on  the  mingled  peril  and  glory  of  a  sol- 
dier's career.  The  "dullest  elf"  can  imagine  what  followed,  and  if  he 
cannot  we  refer  him  to  Othello.  Enough  for  us  to  say  that  not  many 
weeks  after  the  wreck  there  were  tears  and  lamentations  throughout  the 
village,  for  Adele  de  Saint  Maur,  the  Rose  of  the  sea  side,  the  Pride  of 
Port  au  Basque,  became  the  bride  of  the  French  officer,  and  accompanied 
by  her  faithful  guardian,  sailed  for  the  land  of  her  birth. 

The  romantic  story  of  the  Saint  Maur  family  it  is  needless  to  say 
was  listened  to  with  rapt  attention,  and  all  who  heard  it  felt  a  renewed 
interest  in  Port  au  Basque,  unattractive  as  it  appeared  from  the  account 
given  by  our  pilot. 


BELLMSLB,   N.    F. 


CHAPTER    IV 


IHTI^  greater  portion  of  the  southern  coast  of  Newfoundland 
was  yisible  from  the  deck  of  our  steamer  during  nearly  the 
whole  period  of  our  passage  from  Port  au  Basque  to  St.  Johns. 
The  character  of  the  coast  scenery  was  the  same  throughout, 
presenting  to  the  eye  of  the  voyager  nothing  but  bold  rugged  clifis,  which 
in  some  places  rose  precipitously  out  of  the  water  to  the  height  of  three 
or  four  hundred  feet.  On  the  morning  of  the  14th  of  August,  about 
seven  o'clock,  we  were  within  a  few  miles  of  our  nlace  of  destination. 
Every  body  was  up  early,  for  we  had  heard  so  much  of  the  harbor  of 
St.  Johns  and  the  approach  to  it,  that  we  determined  to  see  all  that  was 
to  be  seen. 


ATRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  35 

The  morning  of  our  arrival,  unfortunately  was  rainy  and,  as  may  be 
supposed,  the  city  did  not  appear  to  the  best  advantage  ;  but  the  gran- 
deur of  the  surrounding  scenery,  and  especially  that  of  the  coast  more 
than  made  up  for  the  annoyance  we  felt  in  consequence  of  the  weather. 
The  island  is  protected  on  the  east  by  the  same  bold  mountainous  line  of 
coast  which  we  had  observed  all  along  its  southern  extremity.  Steep 
rocks  rise  to  the  height  of  seven  and  eight  hundred  feet  almost  perpendicu- 
lar out  of  the  water  which  is  so  deep  that  the  largest  vessel  might  pass 
alongside  within  a  few  feet  with  perfect  safety.  In  some  places  their  front 
is  scarred  by  deep  seams  which  extend  from  their  very  summits,  not  unfre- 
quently  terminating  in  huge  caves  at  their  base.  We  felt  the  strongest 
curiosity  to  enter  some  of  these,  and  make  explorations  in  their  hidden 
recesses,  but  had  no  opportunity  of  doing  so,  and  were  obliged  to  leave 
without  gratifying  our  desire.  They  were  just  such  caves  as  we  had  read 
of  long  ago  in  our  days  of  novel  reading,  recalling  to  mind  the  thrilling 
adventures  of  pirates  and  smugglers,  with  their  long,  low,  black  schooners. 
We  invested  them  with  the  most  romantic  interest,  and  endeavored  to 
convert  the  small  sloops  which  dotted  the  sea  into  those  rakish  looking 
crafts  ;  but  it  was  useless  ;  the  picture  soon  faded  before  the  reality,  and 
we  found  it  impossible  to  transform  the  humble,  honest  and  simple-hearted 
fishermen  into  the  reckless,  cut-throat  buccaneer.  Instead  of  the  black 
flag,  with  the  death's  head  and  cross  bones,  there  was  the  Union  Jack, 
the  unmistakable  emblem  of  England's  sovereignty.  It  seemed  so  strange, 
too,  that  it,  instead  of  the  stars  and  stripes,  should  be  there  ;  for  in  the 
forgetfulness  of  the  moment,  we  supposed  we  were  still  under  the  broad 
pinion  of  the  American  eagle,  and  that  Newfoundland  was  only  a  distant 
part  of  our  own  republic. 

The  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  St.  Johns  is  so  concealed  from  the 
view  at  sea  that  we  could  not  perceive  it  till  within  a  distance  of  half  a 


36  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

mile.  On  the  right  rises  Signal  Hill,  to  a  height  of  at  least  six  hundred 
feet,  overlooking  the  town,  and  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  country, 
which  extends  behind  it  hke  a  gigantic  panorama.  The  summit  of  this 
hill  is  crowned  with  a  fortification,  and  at  its  base  is  another,  neither  of 
which,  in  their  present  condition,  would  be  capable  of  resisting  a  well  sus- 
tained attack  by  sea  and  land.  The  entrance  or  Narrows,  as  it  is  called, 
is,  however,  well  defended  by  other  forts,  and  in  the  last  war  it  was  pro- 
tected by  an  immense  iron  chain  extending  across  and  fastened  to  the 
rocks  on  either  side.  The  marks  left  by  drilling  holes  in  the  rocks  are  still 
visible,  as  are  also  the  remains  of  an  old  cannon  and  anchor  which  had 
served  as  holdfasts  for  the  chain.  Opposite  Signal  Hill,  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Narrows,  rises  another  hill,  or  mountain  as  it  should  more  properly 
be  termed,  to  an  elevation  above  the  level  of  the  water  of  over  six  hundred 
feet.  On  the  other  side  of  this,  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from 
its  base,  another  fort  has  been  erected,  in  the  centre  of  which  stands  the 
lighthouse.  While  passing  this  point  we  were  hailed  by  a  soldier,  who 
inquired  where  we  were  from,  and  how  many  days  we  were  out,  and  hav- 
ing answered  him,  we  gave  the  good  people  of  St.  Johns  notice  of  our 
approach  with  a  thundering  salute  that  was  repeated  a  hundred  times  by 
the  echoing  hills.  The  Narrows  is  about  a  third  of  a  mile  in  length,  while 
it  varies  in  width  from  three  to  fifteen  hundred  yards,  and  was  doubtless 
formed  in  one  of  those  terrible  convulsions  to  which  the  whole  island  seems 
to  have  been  subjected,  and  to  which  it  probably  owes  its  origin.  It  ap- 
peared as  if  the  mountain  had  been  torn  apart,  leaving  a  safe  passage 
open  to  the  harbor,  where,  even  in  the  most  violent  storms,  the  waters  are 
hardly  ever  agitated  above  a  ripple.  The  city  is  built  on  the  side  of  a 
hill,  which  ascends  gradually  to  a  height  of  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet, 
and  presents  an  exceedingly  picturesque  appearance.  It  overlooks  the 
harbor,  which  is  a  little  over  a  mile  in  length,  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in 


A     TRIP     TO      NEWFOUNDLAND.  3t 

width  ;  and  which  is  one  of  the  best  harbors  in  the  world,  affording  at  all 
times  a  safe  anchorage  for  ships  of  the  largest  dimensions.  The  first  thing 
that  strikes  the  visitor  is  its  peculiar  formation.  After  you  have  passed 
the  entrance  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  lake,  so  completely  is  it  shut  in 
from  the  ocean.  Gigantic  hills  tower  above  you  on  every  side,  except  that 
on  which  the  city  stands,  and  on  their  rough  and  rugged  declivities  little 
patches  of  gardens  have  been  made  by  the  more  industrious  of  the  fisher- 
men, whose  little  cottages  help  to  subdue  the  natural  wildness  of  the 
scene.  Near  the  water's  edge,  and  all  around  the  harbor,  are  erected  the 
stages  or  "  flakes  "  as  they  are  termed,  on  which  the  codfish  are  cured. 

The  town  of  St.  Johns  has  no  public  buildings  that  can  lay  claim 
to  architectural  pretensions,  with  the  exceptions  of  the  Catholic  Cathedral, 
which  is  a  large  and  imposing  edifice,  built  in  the  style  of  the  Roman 
Basilica,  and  capable  of  holding  ten  thousand  persons,  or  little  less  than 
half  the  population  of  the  whole  city.  It  cost  about  five  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  has  several  very  fine  pieces  of  sculpture,  among  which 
are  two  or  three  of  the  best  productions  of  Hogan,  the  celebrated  Irish 
sculptor.  The  Colonial  Building,  as  the  structure  in  which  the  legislative 
business  of  the  Island  is  transacted  is  called,  was  built  a  few  years  ago  at 
an  expense  of  about  two  hundred  thousand  dollars.  It  is  a  square  granite 
building,  two  stories  high,  with  a  large  portico  in  front,  supported  by  six 
Ionic  pillars.  It  contains  the  chambers  of  the  two  legislative  branches, 
the  House  of  Assembly  and  the  Legislative  Council,  besides  the  library, 
and  a  number  of  smaller  apartments,  A  short  distance  from  the  Colonial 
Building  is  the  Governor's  house,  in  which  Chas.  H.  Darling,  the  recently 
appointed  Governor  of  the  Island  resides.  The  country  around  St.  Johns 
is  remarkable  for  the  diversity  as  well  as  the  beauty  of  its  scenery.  In 
the  afternoon  of  the  day  on  which  we  arrived,  a  party  of  us  enjoyed  the 
luxury  of  a  ride  along  an  exquisite  little  valley  called  the  Vale  of  River- 


38  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

head.  The  roads  which  branch  out  in  every  direction  from  the  city  are 
without  the  least  exaggeration  among  the  finest  in  the  world,  and  Topsail 
Road  which  runs  along  the  side  of  one  of  the  hills  that  form  the  boundary 
of  this  valley,  affords  one  of  the  most  delightful  drives  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  As  you  ascend  the  more  elevated  parts  of  it  you  can  see  the 
whole  town  of  St.  Johns,  the  harbor  which  lies  at  its  feet  and  the  lofty 
crest  of  Gibbet  and  Signal  Hills,  towering  in  the  more  remote  distance, 
beyond  which  the  deep  blue  of  the  Atlantic  is  visible  through  the  huge 
gaps  of  the  coast  mountains.  Below  you,  almost  at  your  feet,  lies  the 
Yale  of  Riverhead,  forming  in  its  quiet  beauty  a  marked  contrast  with 
the  wild  mountain  scenery  by  which  it  is  surrounded.  A  small  stream  fed 
by  tiny  rivulets  from  the  rougli  sides  of  the  mountains  pours  its  clear 
waters  through  the  centre  of  the  valley,  making  sweet  music  as  it  sweeps 
sparkling  over  its  rocky  bed.  In  some  places  its  course  is  broken  by 
miniature  cascades,  that  glitter  like  a  shower  of  diamonds  in  the  warm 
sunlight,  while  in  others  it  is  almost  wholly  concealed  from  the  sight 
by  overhanging  trees,  beneath  whose  shade  its  waters  become  black  as 
midnight.  It  is  a  trout  stream  too — just  such  a  one  as  Walton  would 
have  delighted  to  angle  in.  Beautiful  little  cottages  dot  its  banks,  and 
here  and  there  may  be  seen,  through  the  jealous  foliage  that  cling  around 
them,  the  more  imposing  mansions  of  the  wealthier  inhabitants  of  St. 
Johns.  It  is  a  lovely  scene,  and  might  have  tempted  a  less  ardent  ad- 
admirer  of  the  beauties  of  nature  than  we  professed  to  be  to  linger  a  few 
weeks  among  its  attractions.  But  necessity — "  stern  necessity,"  as  the 
poet  calls  it — interposes  :  the  cable  must  be  laid,  and  in  a  few  days  more 
the  charming  Yalley  of  Riverhead  will  be  lost  to  our  view,  perhaps  for- 
ever. 

One  of  the  particular  features  of  Newfoundland  is   its   numerous 
lakes,  and  the  country  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Johns  abounds  in  them.     One 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND, 


39 


PORTUGAL   COVE.    N.  F. 


of  the  most  picturesque  of  these  is  Yirginia  Water,  which  has  an  area  of 
about  eighty  acres,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  dense  wood  of  pine,  spruce  and 
other  evergreens.  The  estate  of  which  it  forms  a  part,  extends  over  a 
thousand  acres,  and  belongs  to  the  Hon.  G.  H.  Emerson,  Solicitor 
General  of  the  island,  and  member  of  the  Executive  and  Legislative 
Councils,  whose  neat  little  villa  is  situated  on  its  borders.  These  lakes 
are  for  the  most  part  situated  in  the  low  lands,  but  it  is  not  at  all  unusual 
to  find  them  on  the  tops  of  mountains.  George's  pond,  which  supplies 
the  city  with  water,  and  which  is  a  sort  of  natural  basin  in  the  rock,  is 
at  least  four  hundred  feet  above  the  sea.  There  is  also  another,  called 
Wilmore's,  which  supplies  the  place  of  an  artificial  reservoir,  and,  which 
we  were  told  could  not  be  fathomed.  The  water  is  conveyed  from  both 
of  these  by  pipes,  and  distributed  over  the  city,  Looking  down  from  a 
hei|i^ht  of  between  two  and  three  hundred  feet  above  these  ponds  is  Signal 


40  A     T  R  I  P     T  O     N  E  W  F  O  U  N  D  L  A  N  D  . 

Hill,  which,  as.  has  been  already  stated,  stands  at  the  right  of  the  entrance 
to  the  Narrows,  and  about  half  a  mile  farther  in  from  the  sea  frowns  the 
bleak  cone  called  Gibbet  Hlil,  which  owes  its  name  to  a  gibbet  that  stood 
on  its  summit,  and  upon  which  a  murderer  was  executed  many  years  ago. 
Strange  wild  stories  are  told  of  a  human  form  having  been  seen  there  after 
the  magic  hour  of  midnight  writhing  in  all  the  agonies  of  death  from  a 
gallows,  while  the  most  unearthly  sounds  were  heard.  There  were  many 
who  knew  of  this,  but  unfortunately  the  eye-witnesses  were  not  to  be  found. 
The  people  of  St.  Johns  preserve  in  a  most  remarkable  degree  the 
peculiarities  and  distinguishing  features  of  their  descent.  Those  of  Irish 
origin  are  easily  distinguished  from  the  English  and  the  Scotch  by  their 
accent,  and  if  you  were  not  aware  of  this  difference  you  might  very 
easily  mistake  the  birth-place  of  a  Newfoundlander,  as  there  is  nothing 
to  distinguish  them  in  this  respect  from  the  natives  of  Great  Britain.  It 
is  the  same,  too,  with  regard  to  their  features,  which  retain  the  distinct 
marks  of  their  ancestry  through  two,  and  even  three  generations.  In 
many  other  particulars  they  resemble  the  people  of  the  mother  country, 
for  here,  nature,  or  human  nature,  rather,  appears  to  be  governed  by  a 
different  law  from  that  which  prevails  in  the  United  States,  where  all 
traces  of  descent  are  generally  lost  in  one,  and  certainly  in  two  genera- 
tions, and  all  the  original  and  distinctive  marks  are  blended  in  one  grand 
nationality.  They  are,  with  a  few  exceptions,  very  liberal  in  their  senti- 
ments, and  particularly  well  disposed  to  our  people,  with  whom  they  are 
very  desirous  of  extending  their  present  limited  commercial  intercourse. 
As  a  means  of  bringing  about  so  desirable  a  result,  they  regard  the 
present  telegraph  enterprize  with  great  confidence,  and  it  will  doubtless, 
if  successful,  be  attended  with  the  most  beneficial  effects  to  them.  During 
our  brief  stay  among  them  our  whole  company  had  the  strongest  evi- 
dence of  their  hospitality  and  friendly  feelings.     It  was  impossible  for  us 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  41 

to  accept  their  numerous  pressing  invitations,  their  houses,  their  horses, 
their  carriages,  were  all  placed  at  our  disposal,  and  when  we  left  them 
on  our  way  to  Port  au  Basque  our  parting  seemed  like  that  of  old  and 
long  cherished  friends. 

Any  one  who  has  ever  visited  St.  Johns  must  have  observed  the  large 
number  of  Newfoundland  dogs  with  which  its  streets  are  beset  at  all  hours 
of  the  night  and  day.  You  meet  them  wherever  you  go  ;  they  lie  right 
across  the  pathway,  and  sometimes  make  their  beds  in  the  middle  of  the 
road  ;  they  stand  like  sentinels  at  every  door,  and,  although  they  never 
dispute  your  passage,  they  look  at  you  with  an  inquiring  gaze  as  if  they 
desired  to  know  your  business.  In  winter  they  are  emoloyed  by  the  poor 
in  drawing  wood  in  sledges  for  which  kind  of  labor  they  seem  peculiarly 
adapted  by  their  strength  and  docility.  Of  their  sagacity  the  most  won- 
derful stories  are  told,  and  as  might  be  supposed,  we  heard  many  during 
our  visit  at  St.  Johns.  Some  of  these  were  evidently  intended  to  test  the 
credulity  of  the  hearer,  and  are  deserving  of  a  place  among  the  most 
astounding  of  Munchausens  inventions.  Speaking  one  day  to  an  old 
fisherman  about  the  sagacity  of  a  gigantic  specimen  of  the  fine  breed 
which  he  owned,  he  launched  forth  in  the  most  enthusiastic  eulogy  of  his 
many  good  qualities. 

"  I  never,"  said  he,  "  seed  such  an  animal.  He  beats  any  dog  ever 
I  com'd  across  all  hollow,  and  as  for  sense,  why  I  tell  you  he's  got  more 
than  many  Christians  I  have  heerd  on.  If  I  was  to  tell  you  some  things 
about  that  fellow,"  he  continued,  looking  down  at  the  dog  which  stood 
beside  him,  and  patting  him  aflfectionately  on  the  head,  "  you  wouldn't 
believe  me.  Would  they  Sailor  ?"  he  said,  addressing  the  animal  which 
looked  up  in  his  face  with  an  expression  that  seemed  to  say  as  well  as  dog 
could  say,  "  I'm  of  your  opinion  exactly." 

"Well,  gentlemen,"  proceeded  the  worthy  fisherman,  "you  needn't 


42  A     TRIP     TO     NEAV  FOUND  LAND. 

believe  me,  but  it's  the  truth  I'm  tellin' — that  dog  'ill  wake  me  up  any 
hour  of  the  morning  that  I  tell  him,  and  if  I  don't  get  up  he'll  pull  me 
out  of  the  bed." 

"  Pull  you  out  of  the  bed  !"  said  one  of  our  party,  with  a  smile  of 
incredulity. 

"  Yes,  sir,  he'll  pull  me  out  of  the  bed,  and  he's  often  done  it  afore 
now.  But  that's  not  all,  gentlemen,  that  dog  has  gone  a-fishin'  just  as 
nat'ral  as  any  human  bein'." 

"  Gone  a  fishing,"  we  all  exclaimed  with  one  voice. 

"  Yes,  gentlemen,  gone  a-fishin'  ;  and  as  I  said  afore,  you  needn't 
believe  it  if  you  don't  like." 

For  the  privilege  which  he  gave  us  of  doubting  his  word,  we  were 
of  course  duly  thankful,  and  having  expressed  our  utmost  confidence  in 
himself  and  respect  for  the  wonderful  accomplishments  of  "  Sailor"  we 
requested  with  a  proper  feeling  of  reverence  for  both,  to  be  enlightened 
upon  the  particular  qualifications  of  the  animal. 

"  Why,  you  see,  I  tell  you  how  he  does.  He  gets  the  line  and  after 
he  baits  the  hooks  he  fastens  one  end  of  it  on  the  shore  and  swims  out 
with  the  other  end  some  distance  ;  then  he  drops  it  in  the  water. 
When  he's  done  this  he  gets  a  piece  of  the  line  in  his  mouth  and  as  soou 
as  he  feels  the  fish  a-bitin'  he  gives  it  a  sudden  jerk  and  then  swims  ashore 
with  him." 

"  Ah,  yes,  that's  all  very  well,"  said  one  of  his  hearers,  "  but  how 
does  he  get  the  hook  out  ?" 

"  Well,  you  see  he  never  lets  the  fish  swallow  the  hook,  and  to  pre- 
vent him  from  doin'  so  he  catches  him  on  the  very  first  nibble.  Oh,  he's 
a  cunnin'  fellow,  I  tell  you,  gentlemen.  Why,  if  I  was  to  tell  you  every- 
thin'  about  him,"  he  said,  "you  wouldn't  believe  me  no  more'n  I  was 
tellin'  you  a  pack  of  lies." 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 


43 


COD-FISHING    OFF   ST.    JOHNS. 


We  assured  him  we  had  every  confidence  in  his  veracity,  adding  that 
there  was  no  reason  why  we  should  not,  as  we  had  some  dogs  in  the 
United  States  which  were  taught  the  dumb  alphabet.  This  was  about  as 
far  as  a  proper  regard  for  truth  would  allow  us  to  go,  but  the  reputation 
of  our  country  was  at  stake,  and  we  were  determined  that  its  powers  of 
"  invention"  should  be  fully  sustained. 

While  in  St.  Johns  a  perfect  dog  mania  broke  out  among  our  com- 
pany, and  an  extensive  trade  in  pups  was  opened  with  the  natives.  It 
had  been  reported  about  the  city  that  the  Yankees  were  buying  up  all 
the  dogs  they  could  see,  and  the  consequence  was  that  from  morning  till 
night  the  pier,  alongside  of  which  of  our  steamer  lay,  was  crowded  from 
moj'n  till  night  with  boys  and  men,  each  of  whom  had  from  one  to  five 
or  six  pups  and  dogs  of  all  sizes  and  ages.     During  the  four  days  of  our 


#4  A     TRIP     TO      XKWFOUNTDT,  AND. 

visit  a  regnlar  do^  market  was  established  beside  the  vessel  to  which  the 
country  people  came  from  miles  around  to  dispose  of  their  canine  stock. 

As  we  have  said,  a  perfect  dog  mania  broke  out  among  our  passen- 
gers, and  about  forty  from  a  month  to  three  years  old  were  carried  off 
unresisting  victims  into  exile.  Whatever  doubt  there  might  be  as  to  the 
purity  of  the  breed,  there  could  be  no  dispute  as  to  their  being  "  New- 
foundland "  dogs,  and  with  many  that  seemed  to  be  sufficient.  Two  of 
the  finest  were  named  "Telegraph*'  and  "  Cable ^  by  their  owners,  in 
their  enthuasiasm  for  the  great  enterprize.  The  pure  breed  it  is  said  are 
fast  becoming  extinct  in  St.  Johns,  but  judging  from  the  large  number  of 
"  full  bloods "  that  were  exhibited,  there  would  appear  to  be  strong 
reasons  for  doubting  the  truth  of  that  assertion.  However,  they  have 
outlived  their  original  masters,  the  poor  aborigines,  against  whom  a  relent- 
less war  of  extermination  was  waged  till  the  whole  race  has  been  swept 
oflf  the  land.  History  has  many  sad  tales,  but  among  the  saddest  is  that 
she  tells  of  the  red  men  of  Newfoundland. 


HOUSING    THK    TOT). 


CHAPTER    V. 

name  of  Newfoundland  is  inseparably  associated  with  fish 
in  the  mind  of  every  person,  and  naturally  so,  as  it  forms  tlie 
principal  article  of  export  from  the  Island.  In  fact,  the  greater 
portion  of  its  population  depend  upon  the  fisheries  for  their 
subsistence  and  one  years  failure  in  the  supply  would  be  attended  with  the 
most  disastrous  effects.  The  southern,  eastern  and  western  coasts  are 
studded  with  little  villages  and  towns  whose  inhabitants  live  almost  entirely 
by  fishing,  while  the  only  portions  of  the  Island  under  cultivation  are 
small  tracts  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Johns  and  other  large  towns.  It  must 
be  admitted,  however,  that  the  soil  is  not  of  the  best  description  and  it  is 
hardly  probable  that  the  people  will  give  much  of  their  attention  to  agri- 


46  A     TRIP     TO      NEWFOUNDLAND. 

cultural  pursuits  while  fishing  continues  more  lucrative.  The  settlement 
of  the  interior  of  the  country  is,  therefore,  of  such  slow  progress  and  the 
central  portions  of  the  Island  are  so  little  known  that  they  have  not  as 
yet  been  accurately  mapped  out,  and  are  traversed  only  by  tribes  of  wan- 
dering Mic-Mac  Indians.  Yarious  reports  have  been  circulated  regard- 
ing its  great  mineral  wealth,  but  mining  operations  have  so  far  been  car- 
ried on  to  such  a  very  limited  extent  that  no  reliable  information  can  be 
obtained  upon  the  subject.  Its  peculiar  geological  formation  as  well  as 
the  partial  explorations  that  have  been  made,  would  seem  to  favor  the 
truth  of  such  reports,  and  it  is  a  well  ascertained  fact  that  coal,  copper, 
iron  and  silver  have  been  found  in  many  places.  The  success  of  the  pres- 
ent telegraph  enterprize  must  eventually  open  up  the  resources  of  the 
country  and  present  it  in  another  character  to  the  world  than  that  of  a 
mere  fishing  station,  but  while  it  remains  in  its  present  condition  as  a  de- 
pendency of  England  its  progress  will  always  be  retarded.  For  the  proof 
of  this  assertion  we  need  only  direct  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  Canada, 
which  stands  out  in  such  marked  contrast  with  the  United  States,  a  con- 
trast which  every  impartial  person  must  admit  is  attributable  mainly  to 
the  difference  existing  in  their  forms  of  government.  The  day  that  sees 
the  bond  of  Union  between  Newfoundland  and  the  Mother  Country  sev- 
ered will  be  one  of  the  brightest  in  the  history  of  that  island. 

At  present,  as  we  have  said,  the  most  lucrative  occupation  of  the 
people  is  fishing,  and  such  are  the  profits  realized  by  the  merchants  that 
it  is  nothing  unusual  for  them  to  make  in  the  course  of  a  single  season 
over  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  by  the  seal  and  codfisheries.  Some 
idea  may  be  formed  of  the  extent  to  which  they  are  carried  on  from  the 
fact  that  the  yearly  product  amounts  to  thirteen  millions.  It  must  be 
observed,  however,  that  cod  is  not  the  only  fish  caught  along  the  shores, 
but  that  herring  are  taken  in  such  abundance  that  they  promise  at  some 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  4t 

future  day  to  form  the  principal  article  of  export.  Salmon  is  also  very- 
plenty,  and  the  lakes  and  rivers  swarm  with  trout.  There  appears  to  be 
no  limit  to  the  supply  ;  the  whole  ocean  around  the  coast  teems  with  fish 
which  become  an  easy  prey  even  to  the  most  inexpert.  Talk  of  the  gold 
mines  of  California  !  They  cannot  compare  with  the  inexhaustible  wealth 
of  the  fisheries  of  Newfoundland.  No  wonder  that  the  English  struggled 
so  hard  to  exclude  others  from  sharing  it  with  them,  when  the  monopoly 
of  the  commerce  it  creates  would  give  them  the  whole  world  for  a  market. 
However,  in  spite  of  all  the  restrictions  which  they  have  placed  upon  other 
nations  to  prevent  them  from  participating  in  the  fisheries,  they  have  not 
as  yet  succeeded  in  driving  either  the  French  or  our  own  countrymen 
from  that  field  of  enterprize,  and  although  they  enjoy  all  the  advantage 
which  almost  sole  possession  of  the  country  gives  them,  the  annual  receipts 
are  pretty  equally  divided,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  following  proportions  : 
French,  $4,500,000  ;  English,  $4,500,000  ;  American,  $4,000,000.  The 
French,  also  own  a  portion  of  the  coast,  and  to  this  more  than  to  their 
superior  enierprize,  is  owing  the  difference  in  the  yearly  amounts  realized 
by  them  and  the  English  as  compared  with  the  Americans. 

It  might  naturally  be  supposed  that  St.  Johns,  which  is  the  resi- 
dence of  the  fish  merchants,  and  from  which  a  large  proportion  of  the 
whole  product  of  the  island  is  exported,  would  be  one  of  the  richest  cities 
in  the  British  Provinces,  but  this  is  far  from  being  the  case,  hardly  one- 
fourth  the  amount  realized  being  expended  there.  In  this  respect  it  is 
subject  to  the  evils  of  the  Colonial  system  of  England  which  drains  its 
dependencies  of  their  substance  and  vitality  for  the  support  of  its  own 
aristocracy  and  royalty.  The  merchants  are  chiefly  of  English  birth,  and 
as  the  island  has  no  attractions  for  them,  it  is  only  tolerable  on  account  of 
the  means  it  aflbrds  of  acquiring  the  wealth  whereby  they  are  enabled  to 
live  in  luxury  and  magnificence  at  home.     They  have  no  sympathies  in 


48  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

common  with  the  poor  fishermen  by  whose  labor  they  accumulate  princely 
fortunes,  and  who  are  made  the  subject  of  the  most  shameful  imposition. 
But  if  the  merchants  are  exacting  and  unfair  in  their  dealings  with  the 
fishermen  the  latter  are,  it  must  be  acknowledged,  indebted  to  their  own 
improvidence  and  want  of  self-reliance  for  this.  They  are  generous,  it  is 
said,  to  a  fault,  and  too  often  improvident  in  the  disposition  of  their  means, 
so  that  they  are  almost  always  at  the  mercy  of  the  merchants  who  pur- 
chase their  fish  at  the  lowest  possible  price.  But  although  the  price  they 
receive  is  small  in  proportion  to  the  amount  realized  by  the  merchants, 
they  can  save,  if  at  all  expert,  during  a  favorable  season  enough  to  support 
themselves  and  families  for  the  whole  year.  But  the  money  which  is  so 
easily  made  is  as  rapidly  spent,  and  long  before  the  end  of  the  year 
they  are  dependent  upon  the  merchant  for  the  necessaries  of  life,  which 
their  helpless  condition  compels  them  to  take,  although  furnished  at  an 
exorbitant  rate. 

Although  naturally  desirous  of  a  change  which  would  give  them 
better  customers,  the  poor  fishermen  do  not  seem  to  possess  the  energy, 
the  self-reliance,  nor  the  economy  necessary  to  bring  such  a  revolution 
about.  They  are  all  favorable  to  our  countrymen  of  whose  liberality  they 
have  the  most  enlarged  ideas,  and  they  frequently  express  the  hope  that 
they  will  at  no  distant  day  become  the  sole  purchasers  of  their  fish.  It  is 
well,  however,  to  say  here  to  those  who  may  desire  to  embark  in  this 
business  that  they  must  place  themselves  in  the  same  position  towards  the 
fishermen  that  the  resident  merchants  of  St.  Johns  occupy,  and  that  they 
should  either  live  in  that  city  or  have  trust-worthy  agents  there  for  the 
transaction  of  their  business.  The  buyer  of  the  fish  is  always  certain  of 
a  market,  and  after  paying  a  liberal  price  for  it  he  can  still  make  a  hand- 
some profit  from  his  proceeds.     We  may  add  that  when  at  St.  Johns  we 


A      TRIP     TO      N  K  W  K  O  r  X  I)  I,  A  X  n 


49 


CURING    THE    FISH. 


were  told  seven  dollars  per  quintal  was  obtained  by  the  merchant,  which 
was  about  one  half  the  amount  paid  to  the  fisherman. 

Although  more  reliable  than  seal  fishing,  cod-fishing  is  still  somewhat 
precarious,  depending,  as  it  does,  to  a  great  degree  on  the  state  of  the 
weather  and  the  supply  of  herrings,  which  are  used  for  bait.  In  one 
week  an  expert  hand  can  catch  twenty  hundred  weight  ;  but  there  are 
times  when  he  cannot  catch  more  than  one-fifth  that  amount.  Herrings 
are  taken  in  nets  near  the  shore  in  immense  quantities  and  form  one  of  the 
principal  articles  of  export.  Yery  little  attention  was  formerly  paid  to 
this  branch  of  the  Newfoundland  fisheries,  but  it  is  now  gaining  in  import- 
ance, and  may  eventually  rival  if  it  should  not  exceed  the  Cod  fisheries. 

The  process  of  curing  the  Cod  is  very  simple.  At  the  close  of  iho 
day,  or  when  the  boats  are  as  full  as  they  caji  hold,  the  fish  are  thrown 


50  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

by  means  of  poles  armed  on  one  end  with  a  fork,  into  the  house  where 
they  are  to  be  cured,  a  sketch  of  which  is  presented  in  one  of  the  illustra- 
tions. They  are  immediately  taken  by  persons  inside  and  prepared  for 
salting  while  fresh.  The  cutter  into  whose  hands  they  first  fall  performs 
the  operation  of  cutting  their  throat  which  is  done  in  the  most  scientific 
manner,  and  with  an  almost  incredible  rapidity.  When  he  has  done  his 
work  he  passes  the  fish  to  the  man  who  stands  at  his  side,  who  completes 
the  operation  by  taking  off  its  head,  after  which  he  transfers  it  to  a  third 
person,  called  the  splitter,  who  opens  and  extracts  the  backbone.  The 
dexterity  with  which  all  this  is  performed  is  surprising  and  almost  baffles 
the  vision  by  its  celerity.  In  this  state  the  fish  are  salted,  after  which 
they  are  carried  in  small  quantities  on  a  sled  out  of  the  house,  piled  in 
stacks  and  allowed  to  remain  so  for  a  few  days.  They  are  then  taken 
down  and  after  being  thoroughly  washed  are  exposed  on  flakes  to  the  sun. 
Here  they  lie  until  they  are  perfectly  dried  and  are  then  made  up  in  stacks 
for  the  last  time  preparatory  to  being  shipped  for  exportation.  The 
"  flakes,"  as  the  staging  or  platform  on  which  they  are  dried  is  called,  are 
constructed  of  poles  made  of  the  spruce  and  pine  which  support  a  flooring 
of  the  same  material.  The  poles,  however,  instead  of  being  placed  close 
together  as  is  the  case  in  ordinary  floorings,  are  laid  from  one  to  two  inches 
apart  to  admit  the  free  circulation  of  the  air,  and  thus  facilitate  the  pro- 
cess of  drying. 

As  we  were  determined  on  learning  the  practical  part  of  fishing  and 
of  having  the  gratification  of  saying  on  our  return  that  we  caught  cod 
off  the  coast  of  Newfoundland  we  hired  a  boat  early  one  morning,  engag- 
ed the  services  of  a  couple  of  fishermen,  and  having  provided  ourselves 
with  everything  necessary  took  leave  of  our  ship  resolved  to  astonish  our 
fellow-passengers  with  the  proofs  of  our  piscatorial  skill.  One  of  our 
party,  who  was  an  amateur  in  the  fishing  line,  had  been  boasting  of  his 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  61 

wonderful  exploits  and  of  what  he  could  accomplish  if  he  once  had  a  line 
in  his  hand.  He  was  au  fait  in  everything  about  it  from  the  harpooning 
of  a  whale  to  the  hooking  of  a  trout,  and  it  was  but  natural  to  suppose 
that  we  should  defer  to  his  superior  judgment.  He  was  in  fact  the  head, 
the  prime  mover  in  the  excursion  of  that  day,  and  we  all  regarded  him 
with  feelings  of  the  highest  respect.  This  was  increased  still  more  by  the 
learned  manner  in  which  he  discoursed  with  one  of  the  fishermen  about 
things  piscatorial,  and  the  air  of  authority  he  assumed  when  fish  were 
spoken  of  in  his  presence,  and  it  is  a  fact  related  of  him  by  one  of  his 
greatest  admirers,  that  he  went  into  a  long  disquisition  upon  the  many 
varieties  of  the  finny  tribe  upon  hearing  the  word  "scales"  spoken  of 
in  his  presence  by  a  Dutch  grocer.  We  felt  that  with  him  we  could  do 
everything,  without  him  nothing,  and  our  annoyance  can  therefore  be  well 
imagined  when  just  as  we  were  prepared  to  start  he  was  not  to  be  seen. 
We  looked  for  him  everywhere,  our  party  appointed  themselves  a  com- 
mittee of  investigation  and  with  a  diligence  and  perseverance  worthy  of 
the  highest  praise  they  searched  for  him  in  every  hole  and  corner  of  the 
vessel  where  it  was  possible  for  a  human  body  to  be  stowed  ;  all  their 
efforts  however  were  unsuccessful,  and  they  were  about  giving  up  the 
search  when  to  our  infinite  delight  and  surprise  he  made  his  appearance. 
At  first  we  could  with  difficulty  recognize  him  he  had  undergone  such  a 
transformation,  but  we  soon  became  satisfied  of  his  identity  by  one  of  our 
party  saying  something  about  "  bait,"  when  he  proceeded  with  his  usual 
volubility  to  descant  upon  his  favorite  topic.  This  was  enough,  we  felt 
renewed  confidence  under  his  guidance  and  everything  being  ready  we  pre- 
pared to  start  in  earnest.  The  rope  which  held  us  to  the  pier  was  unfast- 
ened, and  with  a  cheer  which  was  answered  by  those  who  remained  on  the 
deck  of  the  steamer,  we  took  leave  of  our  friends  ashore  with  the  exultant 
feelings  of  men  certain  of  success.     Our  confidence  in  three  of  the  mem- 


52  A     T  R  I  P     T  0      N  K  W  F  O  f  X  f)  L  A  N  0  . 

hers  of  our  party  was,  we  must  confess,  a  little  shaken,  by  the  discovery 
that  they  had  bought  clothes  lines,  instead  of  fishing  lines,  and  that  their 
hooks  were  nothing  but  common  hold-fasts.  We  felt  that  their  ignorance 
had  been  taken  advantage  of  by  some  "  smart"  fellow  in  St.  Johns,  and 
that  they  had  been  mercilessly  victimized.  We  promised  in  compassion 
for  them  not  to  say  a  word  about  it  to  their  friends,  but  in  shame  we  must 
acknowledge,  that  our  love  of  ridicule  got  the  better  of  us  and  as  many 
had  done  before,  we  sacrificed  our  friendship  for  a  joke.  When  the 
excitement  produced  by  this  discovery  had  somewhat  subsided,  we  all 
eagerly  inquired  of  our  leader  what  had  become  of  him  and  the  cause  of 
the  remarkable  change  we  observed  in  his  appearance. 

"  Look  at  me,"  said  he — "  look  at  me  from  head  to  foot ; "  with  a 
smile  of  satisfaction  he  vainly  endeavored  to  suppress  out  of  respect  for  his 
own  authority. 

We  did  as  desired,  and  found  t!i:it  the  change  was  produced  by  a 
huge  pair  of  canvass  overalls  and  a  jacket  of  the  same  material. 

"  You  see,"  he  said,  when  we  had  finished  our  inspection  of  him, 
"  I  am  always  properly  prepared  and  provided  when  I  go  on  a  fishing 
excursion." 

And  he  turned  towards  our  friends  of  the  clothes  lines  with  a  look 
of  withering  contempt  for  the  disgrace  they  had  inflicted  on  the  party. 
We  felt  their  shame  so  keenly  that  if  he  had  ordered  us  to  throw  them 
overboard  we  would  have  done  so  without  the  slightest  hesitation  out  of 
respect  for  his  wounded  feelings.  The  contemptuous  expression,  however, 
soon  passed  off  his  features  which  now  began  to  brighten  under  the  potent 
influence  of  a  coming  joke. 

"  Yes,"  he  proceeded,  "  while  you  were  waiting  I  was  providing 
myself  with  these  articles,  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  I  could 
procure  them." 


A      TRIP     TO      N  K  W  F  O  r  X  D  I,  A  y  D 


53 


A    FISH    FLAKK. 


"  How  was  that  ?"  inquired  one  of  the  fishermen.  "  I  always 
thought,"  he  added,  "you  could  get  as  many  of  them  as  you  wanted  in  St. 
Johns.'' 

"  Oh,  there  was  no  lack  of  them,"  replied  our  leader,  "  but  the  great 
trouble  was  in  procuring  change.     You  recollect  Halifax,"  he  said  to  us. 

Yes,  we  all  recollected  Halifax. 

"  Well,  then,"  he  continued,  "  as  little  change  as  there  was  there, 
there  is  it  appears  still  less  in  St.  Johns.  Although  I  had  no  trouble  in 
finding  what  I  wanted,  I  had  to  go  to  three  stores  before  I  could  get 
change  for  a  five  dollar  piece,  and  while  on  my  travels  I  learned  that 
when  a  ten  dollar  piece  makes  its  appearance  among  them  they  generally 
call  a  town  meeting  to  decide  what  they  are  to  do  under  the  circumstances. 
The  first  store  I  went  into  the  keeper  looked  at  me  with  eyes  opened 
to  their  fullest  extent,  as  if  I  were  some  wild  animal  that  had  broken  his 
chain." 


54  ATRIPTO     NEWFOUNDLAND 

"  You  want  a  pair  of  overalls,"  he  said,  when  he  got  over  his  won- 
der. 

"  Yes,  I  want  a  pair  of  your  overalls,  I  replied." 

"  Well,  here  they  are,"  and  he  handed  me  down  just  the  pair  I 
wanted. 

"  What's  the  price  ?  "  I  inquired,  throwing  down  a  five  dollar  piece. 

"  What^s  the  price  ?  "  he  repeated,  as  if  soliloquizing,  and  then  with- 
out giving  a  direct  answer,  he  went  on  to  speak  of  the  excellence  of  the 
article. 

"  They  are  very  good  ones,  you  see,"  he  said,  shaking  them  out  and 
blowing  into  them  as  you  would  into  a  pair  of  gloves  ?  "  Very  good  ones 
indeed." 

I  acknowledged  this  at  once,  and  requested  him  to  fold  them  up 
and  give  me  the  change. 

"  Change,"  he  said,  picking  up  the  piece  for  the  first  time,  and  with 
renewed  astonishment.  "  The  change  of  this  !"  he  repeated,  coming  from 
behind  the  counter  and  looking  at  me  from  every  point  of  view,  "  I  can't 
do  it,"  he  concluded.     "  I  can't  do  it." 

"  So  I  was  reluctantly  obliged  to  travel  farther  and  after  two  more 
applications,  I  at  last  succeeded  in  finding  that  wonder  of  St.  Johns,  the 
man  who  could  change  a  five  dollar  piece." 

'Now  we  know  and  of  our  own  knowledge,  too,  that  this  was  all  a  joke 
of  our  leader,  and  we  know  also,  that  although  there  may  be  no  "change" 
in  the  friendship  of  the  good  people  of  St.  Johns,  their  stere-keepers 
are  not  so  destitute  of  one  of  the  most  essential  requisites  in  business. 

However,  we  gave  our  friend  due  credit  for  his  inventive  powers, 
laughed  at  his  joke  a«  heartily  as  if  it  were  a  true  one,  and  then  turned 
our  attention  to  the  more  serious  matter  on  hand.  We  had  by  this 
time  reached  the  fishing  ground  without  accident  except  that  one  of 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  55- 

our  party  who  was  ambitious  of  displaying  his  proficiency  in  rowing,  to 
use  a  nautical  term,  "caught  a  crab"  that  is  to  say  missed  a  stroke  and 
was  in  imminent  danger  of  falling  overboard. 

Our  hooks  were  soon  baited,  and  every  one  with  a  line  in  his  hand 
eagerly  expecting  a  bite,  was  hanging  over  the  side  of  the  boat.  Hardly 
a  minute  elapsed  before  there  were  bites  all  round,  and  as  we  were  deter- 
mined that  our  fish  would  be  well  hooked,  we  pulled  with  a  force  that 
knocked  us  sprawling  over  our  seats  and  tangled  our  lines  so  badly  that  it 
was  nearly  half  an  hour  before  they  were  clear.  We  gained  some  experi- 
ence, however,  from  this  and  went  to  work  the  next  time  with  more  cool- 
ness and  with  such  success  that  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  hours  we 
had  captured  among  our  party  of  eight  about  six  hundred  fish.  It  is 
somewhat  strange  that  the  biggest  cod  was  hooked  by  the  poorest  fisher- 
man in  the  party,  and  still  stranger  that  our  leader  caught  the  least  in 
quantity  and  the  smallest  in  size.  Although  considerably  mortified  by  the 
result,  he  did  not,  however,  appear  in  the  least  crestfallen,  but  told  us 
with  an  air  of  undiminished  authority  that  after  all  there  was  little  sport 
in  fishing  for  cod.  "  Salmon,  my  boys,  salmon's  the  fish  for  me  ;  there's 
more  sport  in  catching  one  salmon  than  twenty  cod." 

"  There  is  little  sport,"  said  another  of  the  party  who  had  been 
about  as  unsuccessful  as  our  leader,  and  who  was  ready  to  take  part 
with  him  in  depreciating  the  fish — "  there  is  little  sport  in  catching  fish 
that  bite  so  feebly,  you  can't  feel  them  half  the  time.  And  then,"  he 
added,  "  when  you  have  them  hooked,  you  are  not  certain  that  they 
are  on  they  make  so  little  resistance." 

We  all  acknowledged  the  truth  of  this,  for  many  of  us  had  actually 
hooked  them  when  we  were  perfectly  unconscious  of  having  had  a  bite. 
In  fishing  for  cod,  it  is  absolutely  necessary,  therefore,  to  draw  your  line 


56  A     TRIP     TO      NEWFOUNDLAND. 

as  tight  as  possible  without  disturbing  the  sinker,  if  you  would  know 
when  the  fish  are  at  the  bait. 

Our  return  to  the  ship  was  like  an  ovation  ;  we  exhibited  our  prize 
with  all  the  pride  of  conquerors  and  for  several  days  afterwards  there  was 
nothing  heard  on  board  the  steamer  but  stories  of  our  wonderful  fishing 
exploits.  We  had  cod  for  breakfast,  cod  for  dinner,  and  cod  for  tea  ; 
we  never  wearied  of  cod — it  was  in  our  thoughts  by  day  and  our  dreams 
by  night  ;  nobody  dared  to  mention  the  fish  in  the  presence  of  any  one 
of  us,  if  he  was  not  prepared  to  hear  the  account  of  our  adventure  over 
again  perhaps  for  the  twentieth  time,  and  with  numerous  additions  and 
improvements.  Our  fishing  excursion  off  St.  Johns  will  long  be  remem- 
bered by  the  passengers  of  the  James  Adger  and  particularly  by  those 
who  were  participators  in  the  snorts  of  that  memorable  day. 


STACKING    THE    COD. 


CHAPTER    YI. 

1o  J^OIESlfS  as  we  have  stated  is  the  principal  fish  depot  on 
the  south-eastern  part  of  the  island,  and  is  the  residence  of  the 
wealthiest  merchants  ;  but  there  are  a  large  number  of  fishing 
towns  and  villages  in  its  vicinity.  Among  these  is  the  romantic 
and  picturesque  village  of  Quidi  Yidi  which  had  at  the  time  of  our  visit 
a  population  of  about  four  hundred.  As  it  is  not  more  than  a  mile  and 
a  half  from  St.  Johns  it  is  a  place  of  almost  constant  resort,  for  the  peo- 
ple regard  it  as  a  sort  of  natural  curiosity  and  always  speak  of  it  to 
strangers  as  such.  Its  houses  are  of  the  poorest  description,  hardly  afford- 
ing a  protection  against  the  inclemency  of  the  weather  ;  but  those  who 
inhabit  them  are  a  healthy,  strong  and  hardy  race  for  whom  the  elements 
seem  to  have  no  terrors. 

The  harbor  is  about  six  hundred  yards  in  length,  between  two  and 


58  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

three  hundred  feet  wide,  and  is  surrounded  by  steep  hills,  which  rise  to  a 
height  of  four  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  entrance 
from  the  sea  is  through  a  deep  cut  in  the  mountain,  and  the  channel  or 
passage  is  only  wide  enough  for  fishing  smacks.  Here,  while  the  storm 
rages  with  terrible  fury  without,  and  the  whole  coast  is  lined  with  breakers 
that  dash  the  spray  half  way  up  the  bleak  sides  of  the  mountain  barrier, 
everything  is  at  rest,  so  completely  is  it  sheltered  from  the  elements. 
Here,  too,  in  this  quiet  little  village,  shut  out  from  all  knowledge  of  the 
busy  world  three  or  four  generations  of  men  have  lived  and  died,  their 
chief  occupation  fishing  for  cod  along  the  shore  within  two  or  three  miles 
of  their  huts,  or  hunting  the  seal  among  the  icebergs  off  the  coast  of 
Xewfoundland  and  Labrador.  Their  life  is  one  of  peril  and  hardships, 
and  still,  like  that  of  the  sailor,  it  has  a  strong  fascination  for  them. 
When  not  employed  in  fishing  or  hunting  the  seal,  a  large  number  reside 
in  more  comfortable  dwellings  in  St.  Johns,  where  those  who  can  obtain 
employment,  work  on  the  wharves  and  at  other  kinds  of  labor. 

Portugal  Cove,  a  fishing  station  with  a  population  of  between  one 
and  two  thousand,  is  situated  about  ten  miles  to  the  north  of  St.  Johns. 
The  road  to  it  lies  through  a  magnificent  tract  of  country,  diversified  with 
all  the  beauties  of  mountain,  lake  and  river.  We  had  heard  a  great  deal 
about  Portugal  Cove  ever  since  our  arrival,  and  made  up  our  minds  to 
visit  it  before  our  departure.  Having  procured  a  wagon  from  Mr.  Tous- 
saint,  the  gentlemanly  proprietor  of  the  Hotel  de  Paris,  who  kindly  volun- 
teered to  act  as  our  guide,  we  started  early  in  the  morning,  and  in  the 
course  of  a  couple  of  hours  reached  our  place  of  destination.  Three  or 
four  miles  from  St.  Johns  we  came  within  sight  of  twenty-mile  pond, 
which  is  one  of  the  finest  sheets  of  water  in  this  part  of  the  island.  Its 
shores  are  covered  with  dense  woods,  extending  down  even  to  the  water's 
edge,  except  about  half  a  mile  of  its  southern  extremity,  where  a  fine 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  59 

beach  of  sand  and  pebbles  lias  been  formed.  The  road  extends  for  almost 
a  mile  along  the  boarders  of  this  lake,  and  then  leads  away  off  among 
the  mountains,  from  the  sides  of  which  we  occasionally  caught  glimpses 
of  it,  as  it  lay  like  an  immense  mirror,  fringed  by  its  evergreen  forest. 

The  sky  looked  cloudy  and  threatening  when  we  started,  and  we 
had  hardly  proceeded  half-way  on  our  journey,  when  the  mists  which  had 
been  hovering  over  the  hills,  swept  down  upon  us  in  a  drenching  shower. 
It  was  only  a  shower,  however,  and  as  the  mists  dissolved  we  were  more 
than  repaid  for  what  we  suffered  by  the  magnificent  sight  that  burst  upon 
our  view.  Above  us,  on  either  side  of  the  road,  towered  the  mountains 
to  the  height  of  five  or  six  hundred  feet,  their  sides  marked  by  deep  seams 
and  rugged  with  gigantic  rocks  that  threatened  every  moment  to  fall  and 
sweep,  like  an  avalanche,  upon  us.  The  valley  lay  beneath,  rejoicing  in 
all  the  verdure  of  summer,  and  fragments  of  mist  floated  over  it  like  gos- 
samer webs.  Here  and  there,  at  irregular  intervals,  immense  boulders 
stood  up  amid  woods  of  spruce  and  pine,  their  gray  summits  forming  a 
striking  contrast  with  the  deep  green  of  the  foilage.  It  is  hardly  neces- 
sary to  say  we  enjoyed  the  scene,  but  our  enjoyment  was  of  a  rather  noisy 
character,  and  astonished  the  natives  somewhat.  Away  we  swept,  with 
break-neck  speed,  down  the  steep  mountain  sides,  and  dashed  through  the 
valley  as  if  pursued  by  furies.  Now  we  crept  like  snails  up  precipitous 
hills,  and  when  we  reached  their  summits  awoke  their  echoes  with  deafen- 
ing cheers.  We  sang  the  praises  of  the  bob-tailed  nag  in  tune  and  out 
of  tune,  and  earnestly  solicited  "  somebody  "  to  bet  upon  the  gray.  The 
tearful  Susanna  was  frequently  requested  to  cease  her  weeping  on  our 
account,  and  the  natural  deficiencies  of  Uncle  Ned  were  not  forgotten. 
But,  as  the  old  adage  says,  it  is  a  long  lane  that  has  no  turn,  and  this  we 
found  to  be  equally  true  of  our  ride.  At  the  end  of  ten  miles,  Portugal 
Cove  broke  suddenly  upon  our  view  as  we  emerged  from  a  valley.     The 


60  ATRIP     TO      NEWFOUNDLAND. 

Cove  is  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  and  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length. 
Opposite  to  it,  and  at  a  distance  of  three  miles,  lies  Belleisle,  one  of  the 
most  singularly  formed  islands  about  Newfoundland.  It  is  about  four 
miles  long,  one  in  width,  and  rises  perfectly  perpendicular  out  of  the  water 
to  the  height  of  two  and  three  hundred  feet. 

Portugal  Cove  is  inhabited  entirely  by  fishermen,  and  is  one  of  the 
oldest  settlements  on  the  eastern  coast.  Although  employed  four  or  five 
months  in  the  year  cod  fishing,  their  most  lucrative  occupation  is  hunting 
the  seal.  Their  fishing  season  begins  in  May,  and  ends  about  the  1st  of 
December.  From  December  till  March  they  have  little  or  nothing  to  do, 
unless  they  feel  disposed  to  work  as  laborers.  On  the  first  of  March  the 
seal  hunting  or  fishing,  as  it  is  called,  begins  and  continues  till  May.  The 
vessels  employed  in  the  seal  fisheries  vary  in  size  from  ninety  to  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  tons,  and  are  protected  along  the  bows  with  a  sheathing  of 
iron.  These  vessels  are  owned  by  individuals  or  companies,  and  are  capa- 
ble of  accommodating  from  twenty  to  seventy  men,  according  to  their  size. 
Each  of  these  pays  eleven  dollars  for  his  berth,  and  at  the  termination  of 
the  voyage  one-half  the  proceeds  is  given  to  the  owner  or  owners  of  the 
vessel,  and  the  other  half  equally  divided  among  the  fishermen. 

The  seal  is  found  principally  upon  icebergs,  and  is  either  shot  or 
killed  with  a  heavy  pole  with  which  it  is  struck  on  the  head.  The  prin- 
cipal varieties  are  the  harps,  the  hoods,  the  howks,  the  bedlamers,  and 
square  flippers.  The  square  flippers  are  as  large  as  a  good  sized  bull,  and 
their  pelt,  which  includes  the  skin  and  fat,  weighs  from  five  to  eight  hun- 
dred pounds.  The  hoods  are  the  most  difficult  to  kill,  as  they  are  very 
ferocious  and  run,  or  rather  paddle,  over  the  ice  as  fast  as  a  man  can  run. 
When  attacked  with  the  pole,  they  will  sometimes  seize  it  with  their  teeth 
and  fling  it  forty  or  fifty  feet  from  them,  with  great  force  ;  then  turning 
on  the  daring  hunter,  they  force  him  to  seek  safety  in  flight.    The  harps 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  61 

are  considered  most  valuable  for  their  fat,  and  the  hoods  for  their  skins  ; 
they  are  also  easier  killed  than  the  hoods,  and  make  less  resistance  when 
attacked.  The  fat  is  separated  from  the  skin  and  placed  in  large  vats, 
in  which  it  is  allowed  to  remain  during  the  summer,  the  heat  of  which 
converts  it  into  oil.  This  is  rather  a  slow  process,  but  it  is  considered  the 
best,  as  it  preserves  its  purity.  The  refuse  or  blubber  sold  for  manure  is 
said  to  be  as  great  a  fertilizer  as  guano,  and  commends  itself  to  farmers, 
particularly  on  account  of  its  cheapness.  It  is  sold  for  a  dollar  a  cart 
load,  which  is  equal  to  about  five  barrels. 

In  a  voyage  the  seal  fishers  sometimes  run  a  distance  of  five  and  six 
hundred  miles  from  St.  Johns,  and  are  absent  from  six  weeks  to  two  and 
three  months.  About  four  years  ago  a  fleet  of  over  one  hundred  vessels 
was  wrecked  during  one  season,  but  the  loss  of  life  was  not  so  serious  as 
might  have  been  expected.  Not  more  than  twelve  or  fourteen  of  the 
fishers  perished,  the  rest  having  made  their  escape  to  the  land,  some  in 
their  boats  and  some  on  floes  of  ice.  A  party  of  six  had  got  on  one  of 
these  and  were  several  days  in  reaching  the  land.  These  casualties,  how- 
ever, occur  but  seldom  and  are  not  attended  with  such  disastrous  effects 
as  one  might  suppose. 

The  seal  fisheries  of  Newfoundland,  although  very  precarious,  are 
more  profitable  perhaps  than  any  other  pursuit  in  the  world — that  is  to 
those  who  are  enabled  to  invest  a  sufficient  capital  in  them.  It  at 
present  employs  upwards  of  four  hundred  vessels  of  from  eighty  to  two 
hundred  tons,  and  fifteen  thousand  men,  while  the  yearly  receipts  amount 
to  about  two  millions  of  dollars. 

On  Wednesday  evening,  the  15th  of  August,  a  banquet  was  given 
to  the  public  authorities  of  St.  Johns — that  is,  to  the  members  of  the 
Executive  and  Legislative  Councils — for  it  has  no  municipal  government. 
The  military  band  of  the  city  was  in  attendance,  and  discoursed  some  of 


62  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

their  best  music  during  the  evening.  The  entertainment  took  place  in  the 
after-cabin  of  the  James  Adger,  and  was  got  up  in  the  most  creditable 
manner.  Conspicuous  among  the  ornaments  which  decorated  the  cabin 
were  the  American  and  English,  flags  blended  together,  typifying  the 
connection  of  the  two  nations  through  the  agency  of  the  electric  tele- 
graph. About  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons  participated  in  the  festiv- 
ities of  the  evening,  including  the  company  from  New  York.  Mr.  Cooper 
presided,  and  Mr.  Field  officiated  as  Vice  President.  When  the  various 
good  things  had  been  thoroughly  discussed,  the  cloth  was  removed  and 
the  speaking  commenced. 

Now  gentlemen,  said  Mr.  Field,  you  will  please  fill  your  glasses  for 
the  first  regular  toast.  The  request  was  immediately  complied  with,  and 
the  health  of  the  Queen  was  drunk  with  three  cheers.  Then  followed  the 
second,  "  the  President  of  the  United  States,"  which  was  received  with 
an  enthusiasm  by  the  company  and  their  guests  that  seemed  to  know  no 
bounds.  Three  cheers,  and  such  cheers  as  few  monarchs  receive,  were 
given  for  the  First  Magistrate  of  the  great  republic,  and  then  three  more, 
twice  repeated,  followed  by  a  "  tiger"  that  astounded  the  Newfound- 
Landers.  We  felt  that  although  among  hospitable  friends,  we  were  in  a 
foreign  land,  and  that  no  matter  what  political  prejudices  any  of  us 
might  entertain  against  the  President,  he  was  still  the  representative  of 
republican  principles,  and  as  such  entitled  to  our  highest  respect.  There 
were  many  there  besides  Americans,  who  if  allowed  their  free  choice 
between  the  two  governments,  would  have  little  difficulty  in  making  the 
selection.  We  may  be  mistaken,  but  we  think  there  was  something  more 
than  a  mere  compliment  in  the  hearty  response  which  was  made  to  the 
second  toast.  The  day  may  not  be  far  distant  that  will  see  Newfound- 
land bound  in  closer  connection  with  our  republic  than  can  be  accom- 
plished by  the  electric  telegraph. 


,  ATRIPTONEWFOUNDLAND.  63 

The  whole  of  that  evening  was  spent  in  speech  making  and  toasting, 
and  "  the  wee  short  hours  ayont  the  twal,"  arrived  before  the  festivities 
were  brought  to  a  close. 

On  Friday  evening  the  ITth,  a  ball  was  given  to  our  company  by  the 
authorities  of  Newfoundland.  It  took  place  in  the  Colonial  Building, 
the  rooms  of  which  were  tastefully  decorated  with  evergreens  for  the 
occasion,  and  draped  with  the  American  and  English  flags.  We  had  a 
fair  opportunity  of  seeing  the  beauties  of  St.  Johns — and  they  certainly 
realized  all  that  has  been  claimed  for  them  in  personal  attractions.  It 
would  be  difficult  to  select  any  in  particular  among  such  a  galaxy,  and 
we  will  not  therefore  make  the  attempt.  The  ball  commenced  at  nine 
o'clock,  and  did  not  break  up  till  three  in  the  morning,  when  our  company 
dispersed,  well  pleased  with  the  manner  in  which  they  had  been  enter- 
tained. 

Saturday,  the  18th,  was  the  day  fixed  for  our  departure,  but  still  we 
were  unwilling  to  leave  till  we  had  made  some  return  for  the  hospitality 
we  had  received  from  the  people  of  St.  Johns.  The  Company,  therefore, 
invited  over  two  hundred  of  the  principal  inhabitants  of  the  city  on  an 
excursion  about  ten  miles  outside  the  harbor,  and  about  twelve  o'clock 
we  set  out  with  one  of  the  most  pleasant  and  sociable  parties  that  was 
ever  collected  on  the  deck  of  a  steamer.  The  day  was  as  fine  as  could 
be  desired,  and  the  scenery  of  the  coast  magnificent.  We  saw  the 
"spouting  rock"  as  it  is  called,  which  is  one  of  the  greatest  natural  curi- 
osities in  the  island  and  perhaps  in  the  world.  The  rock  itself  is  not 
more  than  thirty  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  has  a  cavity  in 
its  centre  which  runs  through  it  to  the  base,  and  which  is  from  six  to 
seven  feet  in  diameter.  A  small  stream  of  fresh  water  flows  from  an 
overhanging  hill  into  this  cavity,  and  when  the  tide  is  out  finds  its  way 
through  an  opening  in  the  rock  into  the  sea.     When  the  tide  is  coming 


64 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUXDLANn. 


in,  the  waves  rush  with  such  force  into  this  hole  as  to  throw  the  fresh 
water  in  the  cavity  to  a  height  of  twenty  and  sometimes  forty  feet. 

After  a  pleasant  trip  of  two  or  three  hours  along  the  coast  we  returned 
with  our  guests  to  the  harbor,  where  we  parted  with  many  mutual  regrets. 
Cheer  after  cheer  was  given  and  returned,  handkerchiefs  were  waved,  and 
when  we  could  hear  each  other  no  longer,  the  cannon  thundered  out  our 
adieus.  While  passing  through  the  Narrows,  Mr.  Huested,  who  was 
engaged  by  the  company  to  blast  the  Merlin  rock,  which  lies  right  in  the 
way  of  vessels  entering  the  harbor,  and  which  is  very  dangerous  to  those 
of  the  largest  class,  got  up  a  grand  submarine  explosion  for  our  especial 
entertainment.  We  had  hardly  passed  over  the  rock  when  the  explosion 
took  place,  throwing  up  a  vast  body  of  water  to  the  height  of  sixty  or 
eeventy  feet,  and  shaking  the  mountains  on  either  side  like  an  earthquake. 
Our  vessel  trembled  with  the  concussion,  and  the  spray  fell  in  a  shower 
upou  the  deck,  sprinkling  a  number  of  our  passengers,  to  the  great  amuse- 
ment of  those  who  escaped.  On  clearing  the  Narrows  a  parting  salute 
was  given  a?  our  bow  turned  in  the  direction  of  Port  au  Basque,  where 
tt-e  expected  to  find  the  Sarah  L.  Bryant  awaiting  our  return. 


SPOUTING    ROCK,    NEAR   ST.    JOHNS. 


CHAPTER    YII. 

'■Jp  five  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  of  August, 
ci"  we  came  within  sight  of  Cape  Ray,  and  about  seven  o'clock 
were  sufficiently  near  to  Port  au  Basque  to  discern  objects 
through  the  telescope.  Some  of  our  company  went  aloft,  and 
gave  us  the  cheering  intelligence  that  they  saw  a  large  vessel  lying  behind 
the  high  rocks  which  protected  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  but  we  were 
afraid  to  hope  lest  we  should  be  doomed  to  a  second  disappointment. 
There  was  no  doubt,  however,  as  to  a  vessel  being  there,  for  she  had  been 
seen  also  through  the  telescope  ;  but  it  was  confidently  believed  by  some 
that  it  would  prove  to  be  the  French  frigate,  Iphigenie,  which,  it  was  said, 
+ook  a  northern  course  after  leaving  Halifax.     In  fact,  every  one,  even 


66  ATRIPTO     NEWFOUNDLAND 

even  the  most  sanguine,  feared  to  hope.  While  we  were  speculating  on 
the  probability  of  its  being  the  Sarah  L.  Bryant,  a  small  row  boat  was 
observed  approaching  our  steamer,  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  we  were 
within  hailing  distance.  Among  those  in  it  was  Mr.  Sluyter,  the  captain 
of  the  Yictoria,  which  could  also  be  seen  lying  in  the  harbor.  Mr.  Field, 
who,  with  several  others,  was  on  the  bow  of  the  steamer  anxiously  await- 
ing their  approach,  now  hailed  them. 

"  Has  the  bark  arrived  ?"  he  cried  out,  in  a  stentorian  voice. 

A  wave  of  the  hat  was  the  only  reply  ;  but  it  was  enough,  and  one 
wild,  enthusiastic  hurra  broke  from  those  on  board  the  James  Adger. 

"  Hold  on,  hold  on,"  said  Mr.  Field,  "wait  till  we  are  certain."  Then 
repeating  his  question,  he  was  answered  in  the  affirmative.  The  company 
were  all  impatience  to  give  vent  to  their  enthusiasm,  but  they  restrained 
their  feelings  for  a  few  moments  longer. 

"  When  did  she  arrive  ?"  he  asked, 

"  On  Wednesday,"  was  the  reply. 

This  was  sufficient,  we  were  amply  repaid  for  the  anxiety  we  suffered, 
and  three  such  cheers  as  followed  the  glad  tidings  has  seldom  been  heard. 
After  all,  we  had  not  come  from  New  York  on  a  fruitless  errand,  and  we 
would  yet,  if  favored  a  little  longer,  be  enabled  to  lay  the  cable  which  is 
to  be  the  first  link  in  connecting  the  Old  World  with  the  New,  and  bring- 
ing the  people  of  both  continents  into  instant  communication  with  each 
other.  After  all,  we  could  tell  our  friends  on  our  return  that  we  had 
accomplished  the  great  undertaking,  and  that  the  first  submarine  telegraph 
had  been  laid  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic, 

We  had  now  reached  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  and  could  distinctly 
see  the  masts  of  the  long  expected  vessel  towering  above  the  rocks,  with 
the  stars  and  stripes  flying  from  her  mizzen  peak.  In  a  few  minutes  more 
we  gave  her  a  salute  from  our  cannon,  and  ere  the  echoes  died  away 


A     TRIPTO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  fit 

among  the  distant  hills,  the  little  Victoria  responded  again  and  again,  till 
she  was  completely  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of  smoke.  It  was  a  grand  sight 
for  the  people  of  Port  au  Basque,  the  quiet  of  whose  little  village  was 
never  before  disturbed  with  such  boisterous  rejoicing.  A  number  of 
children  were  amusing  themselves  on  the  side  of  the  hills  which  bound 
the  harbor,  and  enjoying  the  scene  before  them  with  the  greatest  zest,  but 
the  first  report  set  them  scampering  like  a  flock  of  frightened  deer,  and 
fearing  a  second  attack,  they  disappeared  like  magic.  In  a  few  minutes 
we  were  anchored  alongside  the  bark,  and  all  was  excitement  and  bustle 
among  the  passengers.  We  all  wanted  to  go  ashore,  but  as  the  number 
of  boats  was  not  equal  to  the  demand,  many  had  to  remain  on  board.  It 
was  soon  ascertained  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  commence  the  work 
of  laying  the  cable  for  two  or  three  days,  so  that  there  would  be  an 
opportunity  for  every  one  to  gratify  their  desire.  The  Sarah  L.  Bryant 
had,  it  appeared,  very  tempestuous  weather,  and  for  twenty-six  hours  was 
exposed  to  all  the  fury  of  a  terrible  gale,  during  which  her  hatches  were 
battened  and  she  was  running  under  bare  poles. 

We  took  advantage  of  the  first  opportunity  that  presented  to  go 
ashore,  and  after  a  perilous  passage  of  half  a  mile  during  which  the  boat 
was  nearly  capsized  by  one  of  our  heavy  friends  who  would  persist  in 
sitting  at  the  side  instead  of  in  the  middle — we  reached  terra  firma  thank- 
ful in  having  escaped  with  dry  clothes.  Our  friend,  as  may  be  supposed, 
did  not  escape  our  indignation  for  the  danger  to  which  he  had  exposed 
us  ;  but  he  was  too  much  of  a  philosopher  to  care  for  it,  and  while  he 
had  his  life-preserver  which  he  always  carried  under  his  arms  he  felt  per- 
fectly indifferent  to  the  dangers  of  the  deep. 

Before  reaching  Port  au  Basque  we  had  to  run  into  a  smaller  harbor 
on  the  side  of  which  it  is  built.  This  harbor  is  called  Channel  Arm,  and 
is  deep  enough  for  vessels  of  two  or  three  hundred  tons.    When  we  reached 


68  A     TRIPTO     NKWFOUNrnLANn. 

what  is  called  the  wharf,  we  had  to  ascend  a  rough  Vy-ooden  ladder,  eight 
or  ten  feet  high,  fastened  in  the  rock,  from  the  top  of  which  we  could  see 
the  village,  consisting  of  forty  or  fifty  frame  houses,  mostly  two  stories 
liigh.  Of  these,  about  half  a  dozen  were  in  a  group,  but  the  remainder 
were  scattered  over  an  area  of  half  a  mile.  They  were  all  constructed 
without  the  slightest  regard  to  modern  improvements,  with  one  exception, 
and  that,  it  is  to  be  presumed,  belonged  to  one  of  the  upper  ten.  It  was 
certainly  the  most  aristocratic  we  saw,  and  might  pass  on  the  outskirts  of 
New  York  as  a  neat,  unpretending  little  cottage.  What  struck  us  par- 
ticularly in  the  aspect  of  this  place  was  the  rough,  uneven  nature  of  the 
ground,  which  was  marked  by  hills,  deep  canons  and  holes.  Patches  of 
turf  in  some  places  hid  the  rocks  from  view,  while  here  and  there  beau- 
tiful little  wild  flowers,  of  which  we  formed  boquets  for  our  lady  passen- 
gers, sprang  up  among  the  crevices.  With  all  the  wildness  of  its  scenery, 
its  bleak  inhospitable  coast,  repelling  rather  than  inviting  the  voyager, 
there  was  yet  in  its  very  wildness  something  fascinating  and  romantic  to 
the  lover  of  adventure.  The  town,  if  it  may  be  dignified  by  the  title,  was 
situated  on  a  rising  ground,  affording  a  view  of  the  country  to  the  distance 
of  six  or  seven  miles.  To  the  north  of  it  rises  in  solitary  grandeur  the 
towering  promontory  of  Cape  Ray  to  the  height  of  fifteen  hundred  feet, 
while  on  the  south  is  the  broad  Atlantic. 

The  surrounding  country  is  well  watered  with  miniature  lakes,  in 
whose  crystal  depths  salmon  trout  are  found  in  the  greatest  abundance. 
The  only  signs  of  vegetation  were  a  sort  of  grass  or  moss  and  low  stunted 
bushes,  on  which  grows  a  brown  berry.  These  and  a  few  wild  flowers 
appeared  to  be  the  only  productions  of  this  part  of  the  island.  There 
were  a  few  gardens  to  the  houses,  but  no  horses,  cows,  or  cattle  of  any 
description  were  to  be  seen.  The  only  article  seemed  to  be  codfish,  and 
that  was  piled  up  in  stacks,  which  at  a  distance  bore  some  resemblance 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 


09 


PORT    AU    BASQUE. 


to  hay  ricks.  The  delusion,  however,  soon  vanished  on  a  closer  inspection, 
for  there  was  no  mistaking  the  peculiar  smell. 

The  first  inhabitant  we  met  on  landing  was  an  old,  rough,  weather- 
beaten  fisherman,  who  appeared  to  be  glued  to  the  spot  with  astonishment 
at  our  sudden  appearance.  We  made  several  inquiries  of  him,  but  finding 
it  impossible  to  obtain  the  desired  information,  we  left  him  to  pursue  our 
investigations  in  other  quarters.  The  conversation,  however,  was  so  cha- 
racteristic we  give  it  verbatim  et  literatim. 

"  What,"  we  inquired,  "  is  the  population  of  this  place  ?" 

"  Eh  I  what !"  said  he  after  a  pause,  during  which  he  surveyed  us 
from  head  to  foot  long  enough  to  count  even  the  buttons. 

"  How  many  people  live  here  ?'' 

"  They  aint  all  home  now." 

"But  can  you  not  tell  us  their  number,  are  there  two  or  three  hun- 
dred r 


70  A     TRIP     TO      NEWFOUNDLAND. 

"  Oh  ;  there's  a  great  many." 

"  Well,  where  are  they  all  ?"  we  asked,  looking  in  the  direction  of 
the  village,  which  appeared  to  be  entirely  deserted. 

"  They  are  all  out,"  he  replied. 

On  a  hill,  a  short  distance  off,  we  perceived  about  fifty  persons  who 
had  assembled  there,  when  our  steamship  came  to  off  the  entrance  to 
the  harbor.  They  were  principally  women  and  children,  but  they  did  not 
seem  desirous  of  a  nearer  acquaintance  with  us  at  that  particular  time 
although  we  afterwards  found  them  very  friendly.  The  men  were  rather 
prepossessing  than  otherwise.  They  were  about  the  medium  height,  with 
clear  blue  eyes,  light  hair,  regular  features,  and  a  frank,  good  natured 
expression  that  at  once  gained  your  confidence.  They  are  simple  in  their 
manners,  and  their  information  upon  every  subject  but  codfishing  is  most 
limited. 

"  What  do  you  do  here  ?"  we  inquired  of  another.  "  What  do  you 
all  work  at  in  this  place  ?" 

"  We  are  all  fishermen,"  he  said.     "  We  all  catch  cod." 

"  You  are  not  all  employed  in  catching  cod  ?" 

"  All  of  us,  excepting  two  merchants." 

"  Well,  and  what  do  they  do  ?" 

"  They  buy  cod  of  the  fishermen.  There  are  their  stacks  there,"  ho 
added,  pointing  to  the  heap  of  codfish  of  which  we  have  already  spoken. 

"  What  do  you  live  o^  chiefly  ?" 

"Cod." 

In  fact,  as  we  have  said,  they  appeared  to  know  nothing  about  any- 
thing else  ;  they  maintained  themselves  and  their  families  by  fishing,  and 
the  principal  portion  of  their  daily  food  consisted  of  cod. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  James  Adger  at  Port  au  Basque,  we  found 
that  the  mechanical  arrangements  on  board  the  Sarah  L.  Bryant,  for  the 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.      '  Tl 

laying  of  the  cable,  were  not  completed.  It  was  resolved,  under  these 
circumstances,  that  the  steamer  should  go  to  Cape  North  and  select  the 
best  and  nearest  portion  of  the  coast  to  Cape  Ray,  the  point  of  connec- 
tion. Mr.  Field  and  some  sixteen  or  eighteen  of  the  passengers  remained 
at  Port  au  Basque  till  the  return  of  the  steamer,  and  as  we  were  among 
those  we  took  advantage  of  the  earliest  opportunity  to  visit  the  bark, 
which  was  about  five  hundred  tons  burthen,  and  strongly  built.  The  cable 
itself  weighed  four  hundred  tons,  and  was  seventy-four  miles  long,  while 
the  distance  between  the  points  of  connection  on  Newfoundland  and  Cape 
Breton  is  sixty-five.  The  extra  nine  irAlas  were  allowed  to  make  up  for 
the  inequalities  in  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  and  any  variation  that  might 
be  produced  in  the  direct  line  by  the  wind  or  currents.  The  cable  lay  in 
immense  coils  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel,  and  the  operation  of  coiling  alone 
took  fourteen  days.  The  machinery  was  very  simple  in  its  construction, 
and  was  the  same  that  was  used  in  laying  the  Mediterranean  cable.  The 
cable  as  it  came  out  of  the  hold  passed  over  iron  rollers,  and  from  these 
between  vertical  guide  rollers,  from  which  it  passed  again  over  two  large 
wheels,  each  eight  feet  in  diameter.  As  these  revolved  it  was,  thrown  out 
on  a  cast  iron  saddle,  over  the  stern  of  the  vessel.  The  wheels  were  sup- 
plied with  four  breaks,  worked  by  two  long  levers  and  two  compressers, 
which  were  employed  to  prevent  the  cable  from  surging  as  it  passed  round 
the  wheels,  as  well  as  to  prevent  it  from  running  off  by  its  own  weight. 
These  completed  the  whole  of  the  machinery,  and  it  was  found  to  work 
most  successfully. 

The  cable  was  manufactured  by  Messrs.  W.  Kupert  &  Co.,  at  their 
submarme  cable  manufactory,  Morden  Wharf  East  Greenwich,  London. 
The  process  of  making  it  is  so  very  simple  that  it  will  be  easily  under- 
stood by  every  one.  The  copper  wires  of  which  there  are  three,  and  each 
of  which  is  about  as  thick  as  a  knitting  needle — are  first  insulated  with 


72 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 


two  coatings  of  gutta  percha.  They  are  then  bound  with  hemp  yarn  so 
as  to  form  a  perfect  circular  rope  or  cable,  the  yarn  being  previously  soak- 
ed in  a  preparation  of  Stockholm  tar,  pitch,  oil  and  tallow.  Over  this 
again  is  wound  the  outside  covering  of  twelve,  No.  4  guage,  iron  wires, 
which  besides  the  protection  they  afford  give  the  whole  cable  great 
strength  and  durability.  The  process  of  manufacturing  with  the  exception 
of  the  insulation  of  the  copper  wires  with  gutta  percha  is  carried  on  at 
the  same  time,  by  extensive  machinery  erected  for  that  purpose,  and  by 
means  of  which  cables  can  be  made  of  any  continuous  length  and  with 
any  number  of  wires  that  may  be  desired.  That  portion  of  the  cable 
which  connects  immediately  with  the  shore  is  generally  galvanized  to  pre- 
serve it  from  the  corroding  action  of  the  atmosphere.  We  saw  a  piece  of 
the  Dover  cable  which  had  been  taken  up  after  lying  in  the  water  about 
four  years  and  which  was  as  perfect  as  when  first  laid  down.  The  gulf 
cable,  on  board  the  Sarah  L.  Bryant  was  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  and 
about  the  same  size  as  it  is  represented  in  the  engraving. 


SUBMARINE   TKLKGKAl'Il    CABLE. 


During  the  absence  of  the  Jimes  Adger  our  little  company  pf  four- 
teen formed  themselves  into  parties  of  from  two  to  six,  and  amused  them- 
selves in  various  ways  as  their  tastes  or  inclinations  dictated.  It  was 
about  eleven  o'clock  when  we  left  the  steamer  and  before  our  boat  touched 


ATRIPTO     NEWFOUNDLAND,  13 

the  wharf  she  had  cleared  the  harbor,  and  in  a  few  hours  no  trace  of  her 
was  visible  except  the  long  black  line  of  smoke  that  she  left  behind  on  the 
horizon.  We  made  our  way  to  the  most  respectable  looking  residence, 
which  belonged  to  Mr.  Waddle,  the  principal  codfish  merchant  in  the 
village.  We  found  him  exceedingly  courteous  and  desirous  of  doing  all 
in  his  power  to  render  our  stay  as  pleasant  as  possible.  His  cook  who  was 
quite  a  character  in  his  way  prepared  a  dinner  of  codfish  for  us,  which 
with  the  addition  of  some  excellent  bread  and  butter  proved  very  palat- 
able. He  was  a  genius  in  his  particular  line  that  same  cook,  and  consid- 
ering the  limited  means  at  his  disposal  made  a  display  on  the  table  that 
would  have  astonished  Soyer  himself.  Out  of  a  dish  of  huge  dimensions 
he  supplied  the  company  with  fish,  meat  and  fowl,  and  when  we  thought 
the  stock  exhausted  he  exhibited  before  our  wondering  eyes  ham  and  eggs, 
boiled  potatoes  and  fried  do.,  all  blended  together  in  an  amalgamation 
more  perfect  than  abolitionist  ever  dreamed  of.  There  was  no  limit  to  the 
supply,  and  although  over  a  dozen  mouths  and  twice  that  number  of 
hands  were  engaged  in  the  work  of  demolition,  the  impression  they  made 
was  so  trifling  that  it  only  appeared  to  provoke  his  contempt.  Our  host, 
Mr.  Waddle,  who  was  very  fond  of  indulging  in  a  joke,  took  occasion 
frequently  to  inform  us  that  we  were  "  eating  nothing  "  and  expressed  the 
hope  that  we  were  not  in  delicate  health.  It  might  be  inferred  from  this 
that  we  had  not  been  doing  full  justice  to  his  hospitality  ;  but  if  an  aver- 
age of  five  or  six  large  cups  of  coflfee  and  solids  in  proportion  to  each 
person  is  not  justice,  then  we  know  not  the  meaning  of  the  term.  It  was 
certainly  more  than  any  boarding-house  or  hotel  keeper  in  New  York 
would  desire  to  receive. 

Port  au  Basque  as  we  have  intimated  is  a  very  small  village,  and 
being  a  small  village  the  accommodations  were  of  a  somewhat  limited 
character.     They  had  never  anticipated  such  an  inundation,  and  as  our 


74  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

arrival  in  such  numbers  was  unexpected  they  were  not  so  well  provided  as 
either  they  or  ourselves  would  have  desired.  Their  deficiency  became 
alarmingly  apparent  as  the  night  came  on,  for  it  was  found  that  there 
were  only  three  extra  beds  and  each  of  these  with  the  most  rigid  economy 
of  space  conld  not  be  made  to  hold  more  than  two  at  the  very  utmost. 
Those  who  were  not  so  fortunate  as  to  secure  one  of  these  in  the  early 
part  of  the  evening  were  obliged  to  sleep  as  well  as  circumstances  would 
permit,  on  the  floor.  It  was  some  consolation,  however,  to  them  to  know 
that  there  was  no  danger  of  their  falling  out  of  bed,  even  if  it  was  a  little 
too  hard  for  their  feelings. 

In  the  midst  of  these  pressing  necessities  pillows  were  in  the  great- 
est demand,  and  blankets  if  put  up  at  auction  would  have  brought  any 
price.  Necessity,  like  a  bad  attorney,  it  has  been  said,  knows  no  law, 
and  this  remark  might  be  applied  with  equal  truth  to  some  of  the  mem- 
bers of  our  company  on  that,  the  first  night  of  our  visit  to  Port  au  Bas- 
que. It  is  with  sorrow  we  state,  but  as  we  are  compelled  to  do  so  by  a 
strict  regard  for  the  facts  of  our  narrative  we  cannot  shrink  from  the  per- 
formance of  our  duty — it  is  then  with  feelings  of  sorrow  we  state  that  we 
saw  by  the  pale  glimmer  of  the  lamp  two  of  our  companions  in  the  dead 
hour  of  the  night  stealing  a  blanket  from  a  third,  while  that  third  reposed 
in  the  unconsciousness  of  sleep.  And  wc  may  also  state  that  they  made 
an  attempt  to  deprive  another  of  a  pillov/,  in  which  however,  they  failed 
as  the  sleeper  with  wise  foresight  had  tied  one  of  the  strings  by  which  the 
cover  was  fastened,  to  his  wrist. 

Notwithstanding  our  many  troubles  we  slept  as  soundly  as  if  we  were 
on  beds  of  down,  and  arose  the  following  morning  with  renewed  strength 
and  appetites  that  must  have  commanded  the  respect  of  our  cook  and 
satisfied  the  exacting  hospitality  of  our  worthy  landlord. 

But  if  we  fared  poorly  with  regard  to  sleeping  accommodations  there 


A     TRIP     TO      N  E  W  F  0  U  N  f)  L  A  N  n  , 


75 


were  others  of  our  company  who  were  in  a  still  worse  condition,  and  whose 
sufiferings  will  not  fail  to  excite  the  sympathy  of  the  benevolent  and  com- 
passionate. The  morning  of  our  arrival,  as  we  have  said,  we  formed  our- 
selves into  small  parties,  some  of  which  went  off  to  Cape  Ray  ten  miles 
distant  on  an  expedition  of  discovery,  some  on  a  fishing  excursion,  while 
others  started  oif  on  a  wild  deer  hunt  eleven  or  twelve  miles  into  the 
interior  of  the  island. 

The  latter  were  most  sanguine  of  success  and  confidently  expected 
that  they  would  be  unable  to  carry  home  the  spoils  of  the  chase  ;  but 
they  were  doomed  to  a  grievous  disappointment,  and  if  we  may  judge  from 
their  experience  of  hunting  deer  in  Newfoundland,  it  will  be  a  long  time 
before  they  are  induced  to  go  on  a  second  enterprize  of  the  kind.  One  of 
the  most  enthusiastic,  but  whose  ideas  of  deer  hunting  were  of  a  rather 


t6  A     T  R  I  P     T  O      N  K  W  F  O  U  N  D  [.  A  N  I)  . 

singular  character,  in  addition  to  his  rifle,  was  armed  with  a  tooth  brush 
and  a  bottle  of  perfume,  while  with  praisewortliy  precaution  he  provided 
himself  with  a  pair  of  kid  gloves  to  preserve  his  hands  from  the  onslaught 
of  mosquitoes.  It  was  certainly  a  grotesque  hunting  party,  and  will 
furnish  material  for  many  a  good  joke  to  the  villagers  of  Port  au  Basque. 
Eleven  or  twelve  miles  over  a  perfect  wilderness  of  rock  and  bog,  inter- 
si3ersed  occasionally  with  stunted  shrubbery,  and  no  deer  to  be  seen,  was 
anything  but  encouraging  ;  and  to  add  to  their  disappointment,  they  had 
rather  improvideutly  forgotten  to  furnish  themselves  with  sufficient  pro- 
visions. They  started  about  one  o'clock,  and  long  before  night  their 
eatables  were  all  exhausted,  and  their  spirits — of  both  kinds — began  to 
give  out.  Only  one  codfish,  and  that  of  rather  diminutive  dimensions, 
remained  ;  and  as  there  were  some  five  or  six  to  divide  it  among,  the 
prospect  of  the  hunters  was  somewhat  gloomy.  In  this  dilemma  a  council 
of  war  was  held,  at  which  it  was  proposed  that  the  fish  should  be  kept 
for  breakfast  the  following  morning  ;  but  their  necessities  were  pressing  ; 
and  it  was  finally  decided  that  it  should  be  demolished  there  and  then, 
and  that  the  morrow  should  provide  for  itself.  That  night  they  passed  on 
the  side  of  a  hill,  and  the  following  morning,  sadder  but  wiser  men,  they 
turned  their  faces  towards  Port  au  Basque,  which  they  reached  about 
noon,  in  an  almost  famishing  condition.  One  rushed  in  an  almost  frantic 
state  into  Mr.  Waddell's  grocery,  and  procured  some  crackers  and  cheese, 
while  another  invested  a  portion  of  his  funds  in  a  dozen  herrings,  which 
it  was  found  had  not  been  in  their  native  element  for  seven  or  eight  days. 

"  I  want  you,"  said  he  to  our  friend  the  cook — "  I  want  you  to  fry 
these  for  us  immediately." 

"  What  are  they  ?"  said  the  cook,  eyeing  them  very  suspiciously. 

"  Fish  of  course — don't  you  see — and  we  want  them  done  as  nice  as 
possible." 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 


11 


"  I  can't  do  them  for  you,"  he  replied,  "  we  never  do  such  fish  here." 

"  And  why  not/'  said  the  knight  of  the  perfume  bottle,  for  it  was  he, 
— "  why  not." 

"  Well,  because  I  don't  like  their  looks." 

"  You  don't,  eh  ?  And  pray  what's  the  reason.  They're  good,  fresh 
fish,  are  they  not  ?" 

"  Well,  they  may  have  been  fresh  enough  once,  but  that  is  about  a 
week  ago." 

"  A  week  ago  !"  the  knight  replied  in  unfeigned  astonishment,  "  Why 
they  were  sold  to  me  for  fresh  fish." 

"  Well,  sir,  all  I  have  got  to  say  is,"  rejoined  the  cook,  "  that  if  they 
were  bought  for  fresh  fish  it  is  you  that  was  sold.  I  can't  do  them  sir,  I 
can't  do  them,  and  if  I  tried  they  wouldn't  hold  together  in  the  pan." 

This  was  sufficient ;  the  knight  of  the  perfume  bottle  was  reluctantly 


THE    Ili:.\TEi:S    KKTUUN 


78  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

obliged  to  acknowledge  that  he  had  been  "  sold,"  and  made  a  resolution 
there  and  then  that  he  would  never  even  under  the  most  pressing  neces- 
sities attempt  to  buy  fish  again.  The  cheese  and  crackers,  however,  were 
good,  and  served  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  the  party  till  dinner  was  pre- 
pared. As  a  deer  hunt  the  affair  was  certainly  a  lamentable  failure  ;  but 
our  readers  must  not  suppose  that  there  were  no  deer  on  the  island,  for 
we  were  told  that  about  thirty  miles  in  the  interior  they  are  to  be  found 
in  abundance.  There  is  one  lesson  which  may  be  learned  from  it  with 
profit  by  all  who  may  hereafter  go  a  hunting  in  Newfoundland,  and  that 
is,  always  to  take  plenty  of  provisions  with  you,  ignore  the  existence  of  kid 
gloves,  and  leave  your  perfume  bottles  at  home. 

The  party  who  went  on  a  tour  of  discovery  to  Cape  Ray  were  also 
compelled  to  encamp  on  the  hill  side,  as  they  found  it  utterly  impossible 
to  return  to  the  village  before  night  fall.  But  if  their  bed  was  not  so 
desirable  as  they  might  have  wished,  they  were  more  than  compensated 
for  that  and  the  other  inconveniences  to  which  they  were  subjected,  in  the 
magnificence  of  the  scenery  by  which  they  were  surrounded.  From  the 
summit  of  Cape  Ray  they  had  an  extended  view  of  the  interior  of  the 
island  which  they  described  in  such  glowing  colors  on  their  return  that 
several  parties  were  about  being  organized  for  a  similar  excursion.  Far 
as  the  eye  could  reach  there  was  a  never-ending  succession  of  hills  and 
mountains,  and  embosomed  in  these  were  vallies  that  might  rival  the  finest 
ever  seen  from  Alpine  summits.  They  had  a  wild,  weird  beauty  that 
reminded  one  of  some  of  the  scenes  in  Ossian,  and  if  peopled  by  the 
beings  of  his  fancy  the  picture  would  have  been  complete.  But  there 
was  no  living  thing  visible,  and  in  that  vast  solitude  not  a  sound  was 
heard  to  break  the  stillness  of  the  scene.  Nature  held  supreme  dominion, 
for  as  yet  the  virgin  soil  was  unbroken,  and  there  was  not  even  the  trace 
of  a  habitation  to  tell  that  a  human  being  had  ever  lived  there.     With 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  T9 

such  a  sight  beneath  them  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  if  our  friends  took 
no  note  of  time,  and  if  night  overtook  them  on  their  return.  They  were 
determined  not  to  leave  before  sunset,  and  they  were  amply  rewarded  for 
tlieir  delay  by  the  new  beauties  which  were  revealed  to  them.  As  the 
sun  descended  the  heavens  he  threw  over  the  scene  a  flood  of  golden  light, 
which  turned  to  fire  as  he  disappeared  below  the  horizon.  Soon  the  grey 
mists  of  evening  crept  up  the  hill  sides  concealing  the  valleys  from  the 
view,  and  bringing  out  in  stronger  relief  the  bleak  and  barren  summits  of 
the  surrounding  mountains.  Then,  even  the  mountains  became  shadowy 
and  indistinct  as  the  night  came  on,  the  valleys  with  their  lakes  and 
rivers  and  evergreen  forests  disappeared  as  if  under  the  wand  of  a  potent 
magician,  the  golden  light,  that  flooded  hill  and  dale  was  gone  and  every- 
thing was  lost  in  the  darkness  of  the  night. 

Our  friends,  as  we  have  said,  slept  on  the  hill  side,  having  concluded 
to  remain  after  two  or  three  unsuccessful  attempts  to  reach  Cape  Ray 
Cove,  where  a  few  fishermen  resided  with  their  families.  They  had  dis- 
missed their  guides  who  stopped  at  the  first  habitation  they  could  find 
with  the  intention  of  spending  the  night  there,  and  of  returning  to  the 
party  in  the  morning.  But  the  people  of  the  house  having  no  knowledge 
of  the  arrival  of  the  James  Adger  at  Port  au  Basque,  and  having  in  the 
early  part  of  the  day  seen  the  guides  in  company  with  our  friends,  con- 
cluded that  there  was  some  fearful  mystery  about  the  matter  which  should 
be  explained  at  once.  They  put  no  confidence  whatever  in  the  story  of 
the  steamer  having  arrived,  and  actually  believed  that  a  murder  had  been 
committed.  They  accordingly  set  out  at  once  on  the  search  for  the  dead 
bodies,  and  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  came  upon  the  spot  where 
our  friends  lay,  wrapt  in  all  the  unconciousness  of  sleep.  The  sleepers 
were  soon  aroused  by  the  barking  of  a  dog  that  accompanied  the  fish- 
ermen, and  one  of  them  seizing  an  axe  with  which  he  had  armed  him- 


80  A     TRIP     TO      NEWFOUNDLAND. 

self  before  leaving  Port  au  Basque  and  which  lay  beside  him,  prepared  to 
defend  himself  against  what  he  believed  to  be  a  midnight  attack  of  Indians. 
Two  of  the  fishermen  who  were  all  eagerness  to  congratulate  him  on  his 
being  still  in  the  land  of  the  living,  met  with  a  warmer  reception  than 
they  deserved,  and  like  many  before  them,  would  have  suffered  by  their 
friendship  if  they  had  not  somewhat  hastily  retreated.  The  matter  how- 
ever was  soon  explained,  and  the  whole  party  returned  to  the  house  of 
the  fishermen  where  they  were  provided  with  a  more  comfortable  lodging 
for  the  remainder  of  the  night,  and  a  tolerably  good  breakfast  in  the 
morning. 


THE   VICTORIA,    TOWING    THE    CABLE-SHIP    FROM    PORT    AU    BASQUE,    TO 
CAPE    RAY   COVE. 


CHAPTER    YIII. 

JBLM  James  Adger  returned  on  Tuesday  evening,  the  21st,  to 
Port  au  Basque,  and  there  was  a  grand  reunion  of  the  com- 
pany. Those  who  had  gone  in  the  steamer  to  Cape  North  had 
wonderful  stories  to  tell  us  of  the  scenery  and  still  more  won- 
derful accounts  to  give  us  of  their  fishing  exploits.  Codfish  such  as  fisher- 
men never  dreamed  of  in  their  most  extravagant  moments  were  captured 
by  them,  but  when  asked  for  the  proofs  of  their  skill  they  were  nowhere 


OZ  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

to  be  found.  Six  feet  was  a  medium  length  and  a  hundred  pounds  a  mere 
trifle  in  measuring  their  size  and  weight  ;  but  as  they  were  fish  stories  we 
were  all  willing  to  allow  a  fair  latitude  and  forgave  them  for  the  imposition. 

That  evening,  it  is  almost  needless  to  say,  we  slept  aboard,  and  our 
sleep  was  not  disturbed  by  any  fear  that  our  blankets  or  pillows  would  be 
stolen.  The  following  morning  the  Sarah  L.  Bryant  was  towed  by  the 
Victoria  up  to  Cape  Ray  Cove,  which  was  decided  upon  as  the  starting 
place,  being  nearer  by  five  miles  to  Cape  North.  There  was  also  another 
great  advantage  it  possessed  over  Port  au  Basque  :  it  had  a  fine  sandy 
beach,  which  experience  has  proved,  forms  a  better  and  safer  resting 
place  for  the  cable  than  rocks.  Once  it  becomes  imbedded  in  sand,  it 
may  lie  there  for  a  century,  but  if  exposed  to  friction  on  rocks,  it  would 
be  worn  away  or  cut  through  in  less  than  a  year. 

It  was  found  necessary,  to  remove  the  telegraph  instruments  from 
Port  au  Basque  to  the  point  selected  on  the  beach  of  Cape  Ray  Cove, 
which  in  itself  was  a  most  tedious  and  laborious  work.  As  a  number  of 
the  passengers  volunteered  their  assistance,  however,  it  was  expedited,  and 
by  twelve  o'clock  everything  was  transported  to  the  place  designated. 
Here  it  was  decided  to  erect  a  frame  house,  which  was  an  undertaking  of 
no  small  magnitude  when  the  limited  means  and  facilities  of  the  place  are 
considered.  The  Yictoria  was  employed  in  carrying  th'e  frame  and  timber 
for  the  purpose  from  Port  au  Basque,  but  when  she  arrived  with  them  at 
the  Cove  it  was  found  that  she  could  not  approach  within  several  hundred 
feet  of  the  shore  on  account  of  the  shallowness  of  the  water.  They 
were  obliged  under  these  circumstances  therefore  to  form  a  raft,  and  on 
it  to  land  all  the  timber  required  for  the  building  of  the  house.  The  larg- 
est planks  were  accordingly  thrown  over  the  propeller's  side,  lashed 
together  with  ropes  in  the  form  of  a  square,  and  on  this  was  placed  the 
frame  work,  the  shingles  and  the  other  parts  of  the  structure. 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  83 

After  an  hour's  hard  work,  in  the  course  of  which  the  raft  gave  way 
two  or  three  times,  they  succeeded  in  getting  all  the  timber  upon  it  and 
attaching  it  to  a  boat  prepared  to  tow  it  ashore.  The  progress  made  in 
rowing  was  rather  slow,  but  they  at  last  succeeded  by  hard  tugging  and 
pulling  to  get  it  within  fifty  or  sixty  yards  of  the  beach.  Here  however, 
the  waves  were  so  high,  that  it  was  considered  by  some  exceedingly 
perilous  to  land  in  the  midst  of  them  ;  but  as  the  whole  shore  was  lined 
with  breakers  and  it  became  evident  that  there  was  no  other  resource 
they  went  to  work  in  utter  defiance  of  the  danger. 

"  Row  ahead,"  said  Captain  Sluyter,  who  was  on  the  raft  with  one 
of  his  crew — "  row  ahead."  The  fishermen  pulled  with  might  and  main, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  after  the  order  was  given  they  were  in  the  midst  of 
the  breakers,  which  threatened  every  moment  to  swamp  the  boat.  They 
saw  they  were  in  for  it  now,  and  as  there  was  no  retreating  they  rowed  with 
redoubled  energy  ;  but  the  raft  which  had  held  together  better  than  was 
expected  after  leaving  the  side  of  the  steamer,  now  exhibited  strong  symp- 
toms of  going  to  pieces,  and  it  had  hardly  got  in  among  the  breakers 
before  it  parted  in  the  centre,  leaving  Captain  Sluyter  on  one  portion  and 
his  assistant  on  the  other.  Their  position  became  every  moment  more 
dangerous,  as  the  planks  on  which  they  stood  were  very  slightly  secured, 
but  by  the  most  unremitting  exertions  they  succeeded  in  keeping  them 
together,  and  in  getting  safely  ashore.  A  large  portion  of  the  timbers 
would  doubtless  have  floated  off  with  the  receding  tide  had  it  not  been 
for  those  on  shore  who  rushed  up  to  their  armpits  in  the  water,  and  not 
without  some  risk  hauled  them  up  on  the  beach.  In  this  they  were  assist- 
ed by  the  dogs  which  seized  the  planks  in  their  teeth,  and  although  some- 
times over  a  hundred  feet  out,  swam  ashore  with  them. 

When  all  the  timber  was  landed  the  frame  of  the  house  was  put  up, 
and  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  it  was  prepared  for  the  reception 


84  A     T  R  I  P     T  ()      X  E  W  F  O  U  N  D  L  A  N  D  . 

of  the  batteries  and  other  telegraph  instruments.  A  deep  hole  was  dug 
in  the  centre  of  the  building,  and  in  this  was  sunk  a  heavy  piece  of  timber 
about  the  thickness  of  an  ordinary  capstan.  A  hogshead  was  placed  over 
this  again,  and  the  intermediate  space  between  it  and  the  capstan,  as  we 
shall  call  it,  being  filled  up  it  was  rendered  so  firm  that  it  would  hold  the 
largest  vessel  in  a  gale  of  wind.  Around  this  the  cable  was  to  be  wound, 
and  although  the  straining  produced  by  it  was  comparatively  slight  it  was 
considered  necessary  to  have  it  well  secured  in  case  of  emergency. 

Everything  was  now  prepared  and  in  readiness  for  the  laying  of  the 
cable,  which  was  commenced  on  Thursday,  the  23d  of  August. 

It  was  a  most  exciting  scene,  although  attended  with  little  danger  to 
those  employed  in  the  laying  or  paying  out  of  the  line.  The  Sarah  L. 
Bryant  was  lying  a  little  less  than  a  mile  from  the  shore,  and  the  steamer 
Victoria  about  half  that  distance.  A  sufficient  quantity  of  the  cable  was 
taken  from  her  hold  and  placed  in  the  form  of  a  coil  upon  two  boats, 
lashed  together.  This  was  performed  with  little  difficulty  ;  but  the  towing 
of  it  ashore  was  a  most  critical  task,  and  required  all  the  attention  and 
care  of  Mr.  Canning.  It  was  impossible,  without  imminent  risk,  to  employ 
either  the  James  Adger  or  the  propeller  in  this  part  of  the  work,  as 
neither  could  approach  sufficiently  near  the  shore  to  land  the  cable.  It 
was  therefore  decided,  as  the  only  safe  and  practical  plan,  that  the  boats 
should  be  towed  ashore  by  two  others  manned  by  fishermen,  and  some  of 
the  hands  from  the  steamers.  As  soon  as  the  cable  was  placed  on  board 
the  boats,  they  were  taken  in  tow  and  then  commenced  the  tedious  pro- 
cess of  paying  it  out.  Its  whole  weight  was  about  four  tons,  and  as  it 
had  to  be  paid  out  with  more  caution  than  would  be  required  in  laying  it 
from  the  ship,  at  least  five  hours  were  consumed  in  landing  and  placing  it 
in  connection  with  the  batteries. 

When  the  boats  having  the  cable  on  board  commenced  paying  it  out, 


A    TRIP    TO    NEWFOUNDLAND. 


85 


TAKING   THE   RAFT    ASHORE, 


they  moved  so  slowly  that  their  progress  was  hardly  perceptible  from  the 
deck  of  the  steamer.  It  was  known  that  the  work  had  begun,  but,  un- 
fortunately, the  James  Adger  was  too  far  off  to  allow  the  company  on 
board  to  see  what  was  doing.  A  portion  of  the  most  enthusiastic  volun- 
teered their  services,  and  having  procured  one  of  the  steamer's  boats 
assisted  in  towing.  They  were  determined  on  sharing  the  glory  of  the 
undertaking,  that  they  might  hereafter  have  the  gratification  of  saying 
they  were  among  those  who  laid  the  great  submarine  cable  on  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic.  They  worked  hard  for  two  or  three  hours,  and  did 
not  give  up  till  they  saw  it  successfully  landed  ;  then  giving  three  enthu- 


86  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

siastic  cheers,  which  were  answered  in  the  same  spirit  by  those  on  shore, 
they  started  for  the  steamer  with  the  gratifying  intelligence. 

"  Now  boys,"  said  one  of  the  party,  "  let  us  be  the  first  to  bring  the 
news,  and  we,  will  call  ourselves  the  Submarine  Telegraph  Express,  for  the 
occasion."  A  general  assent  was  given  to  this  proposal,  and  away  they 
started  for  the  James  Adger,  making  their  little  boat  fly  over  the  waves 
in  their  impatience  to  reach  the  vessel.  As  they  passed  the  propeller  one 
of  the  hands  hailed  them  and  asked  the  news. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?"  he  inquired.  "  Have  they  got  through  ?  Is 
all  right  ?" 

"Yes,"  they  all  replied  in  one  voice  ;  "the  cable  is  laid — all  right. 
Let  us  have  three  more  cheers — hip,  hip,  hurra."  And  three  more  cheers 
were  given  that  made  the  welkin  ring.  While  passing  the  Sarah  L.  Bry- 
ant, the  same  question  was  asked,  and  the  response  greeted  with  another 
burst  of  enthusiasm.  In  ten  minutes  they  were  on  board  the  James 
Adger,  where,  however,  they  found  the  gratifying  intelligence  had  pre- 
ceded them.  Little  did  they  imagine  then  that  their  eiforts  would  be 
rendered  worse  than  useless,  and  that  in  the  course  of  a  week  one-half  the 
cable  would  be  lost. 

The  end  of  the  cable  having  been  secured  by  several  coils  around  the 
capstan,  we  remained  at  anchor  that  night,  and  made  ready  to  start  early 
the  following  morning.  That  morning,  however,  we  were  prevented  by  a 
dense  fog,  which  rendered  it  exceedingly  dangerous  for  us  to  attempt  such 
an  undertaking.  In  fact,  if  we  felt  ever  so  much  inclined  it  would  have 
been  almost  impossible,  as  we  could  not  discern  objects  at  a  distance  of  a 
hundred  yards.  We  were  obliged,  therefore,  to  remain  where  we  were 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  anxiously  watching  every  sign  of  a 
change  in  the  weather.  One  of  our  boats,  containing  seven  or  eight  per- 
sons, ventured  out,  and  having  mistaken  the  direction  of  the  land,  came 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  8t 

very  near,  being  lost.  The  error,  however,  was  discovered  before  the 
steamer  was  out  of  sight,  and  corrected  immediately.  Up  to  eight  o'clock 
that  evening  no  change  had  taken  place  in  the  weather  ;  and  we  began 
to  lose  all  hope  of  the  fog  clearing  away  that  night.  About  nine  o'clock, 
however,  we  caught  faint  glimpses  of  the  moon  through  the  murky  at- 
mosphere, and  in  a  few  minutes  more  we  could  see  her  dimly,  as  through 
a  veil.  Slowly  the  fog  began  to  disappear,  and  in  the  course  of  an  hour 
we  discerned  the  ship  and  propeller  lying  on  our  larboard  bow,  and  about 
one-fourth  of  the  distance  between  us  and  the  shore.  A  light  breeze 
sprung  up  wliich  assisted  in  clearing  the  atmosphere,  and  there  was  every 
indication  that  we  would  have  fine  weather  in  the  morning  for  the  prose- 
cution of  our  work.  At  last,  after  knocking  about  here  for  four  or  five 
days,  we  had  a  favorable  prospect  of  getting  away,  and  we  congratulated 
each  other  on  our  good  fortune.  In  two  days  more  and  with  a  continu- 
ance of  such  weather,  we  would  be  at  Cape  North  with  the  end  of  the 
cable,  and  ready  to  start  for  home.  But  here,  again,  we  were  doomed  to 
disappointment  and  to  a  longer  stay  off  this  bleak  and  desolate  coast. 
The  breeze  io  which  we  were  indebted  for  clearing  away  the  fog,  freshened 
near  midnight,  and  before  daybreak  blew  a  perfect  gale.  Notwithstanding 
the  state  of  the  weather  it  was  decided  to  start  in  the  morning,  and  about 
six  o'clock  we  accordingly  weighed  anchor  and  made  ready  to  tow  the 
ship  to  sea.  All  this  time  we  were  under  shelter  of  the  land,  and  al- 
though it  blow  with  great  violence,  the  waves  ran  low.  Having  succeeded, 
after  the  greatest  difficulty,  in  attaching  the  Sarah  L.  Bryant  with  a 
hawser,  we  prepared  to  tow  her,  but  in  this  we  were  prevented  by  another 
obstacle,  ll  was  found,  after  repeated  attempts,  impossible  to  raise  her 
anchor  ;  and,  having  no  other  alternative,  her  captain  was  obliged  to  slip 
it,  having  previously  attached  a  buoy  to  the  chain  to  mark  its  location. 
All  this  time  the  submarine  cable  held  on  securely  to  the  ship,  although 


88  A     TRIP     TO      NEWFOUNDLAND. 

subjected  to  great  straining.  In  the  midst  of  the  intense  excitement 
Avhich  prevailed  oh  board  the  steamer,  it  was  rumored  that  it  had  given 
way,  but  it  had  only  disappeared  from  our  view  for  a  few  moments,  and 
when  we  looked  again,  there  it  was,  holding  on  with  a  death-like  tenacity. 
In  the  midst  of  all  the  trouble  it  was  encouraging  to  see  this  ;  we  felt 
grateful  that  our  labor  had  not  been  in  vain,  and  re-assured  as  to  the 
strength  it  was  said  to  possess. 

We  now  endeavored  to  get  into  a  proper  position  to  tow  the  bark, 
but  after  several  ineffectual  attempts,  were  obliged  to  give  it  up  in  despair. 
Both  the  steamer  and  the  bark  were  almost  completely  at  the  mercy  of 
the  elements ;  the  hawser  got  under  our  wheels,  and  serious  apprehensions 
were  felt  that  it  would  interfere  with  their  action.  Fortunately,  they 
escaped  without  damage  ;  but  we  had  hardly  got  clear  of  it  when  the 
ship  was  observed  drifting  down  upon  us  with  such  rapidity  as  rendered  a 
collision  inevitable.  From  the  moment  her  anchor  was  slipped  she  be- 
came unmanageable,  and  although  every  effort  was  made  to  get  her  bow 
in  a  straight  line  with  our  stern,  it  was  found  impossible  to  do  so.  There 
seemed  to  be  some  terrible  fatality  hanging  over  her,  and  as  she  came 
down  stern  foremost  upon  our  bow,  our  worst  fears  were  excited  for  the 
safety  of  both  vessels.  The  propeller  was  lying  off  at  a  distance  of  two 
or  three  hundred  yards,  but  she  could  render  no  assistance,  and  any  at- 
tempt she  might  make  would  only  render  the  matter  more  serious. 

The  scene  on  board  our  steamer  was  painfully  exciting  ;  every  one 
crowded  to  the  larboard  side,  awaiting  the  collision  with  breathless  anxiety. 
The  captain,  as  soon  as  he  discovered  the  imminence  of  the  danger,  gave 
orders  to  reverse  the  wheels,  and  we  were  now  moving  out  of  the  way  of 
the  ship,  but  so  slowly  that  we  appeared  to  make  no  progress.  "  Back 
her  I  back  her  !"  he  cried  out  to  the  first  mate,  who  passed  the  order  to 
the  engineer.     "  Back  her  I  why  don't  you  back  her  ?"  roared  the  captain 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 


89 


of  the  Sarah  L.  Bryant  ;  but  the  ships  appeared  to  be  drawn  together  by- 
some  irresistible  attraction,  and  in  a  few  minutes  after  the  order  was  given 
they  struck.  The  larboard  bow  of  our  steamer  came  in  contact  with  the 
stern  of  the  bark  ;  but  not  with  such  violence  as  we  anticipated.  None 
of  our  timbers  were  started,  the  only  damage  we  received  being  two  slight 
scratches  about  five  feet  above  the  water  line,  while  the  bark  was  unin- 
jured. Our  escape  appeared  almost  miraculous,  for  at  one  time  it  seemed 
as  if  nothing  could  save  us,  but  now  that  the  fearful  suspense  was  over  the 
excitement  soon  died  away.  The  ladies  were  not  on  deck  when  the  acci- 
dent occurred,  as  they  had  in  compliance  with  the  request  of  the  captain 
retired  to  the  cabin  a  short  time  before.  They  were  ignorant  of  our  dan- 
ger, therefore,  till  it  was  all  over. 

We  escaped  as  we  have  said,  almost  by  a  miracle,  a  serious  catastro- 
phe ;  but  we  were  not  as  yet  clear  of  the  bark,  and  more  than  once  we 
were  near  coming  in  contact  again.  It  was  found  necessary  to  cut  the 
hawser  on  board  the  steamship,  and  to  let  her  take  care  of  herself  until  we 


90  A     TRIP     TO      NEWFOUNDLAND. 

could  get  into  a  better  position.  As  soon  as  we  parted  from  her  she 
dropped  her  remaining  anchor,  still  holding  on  to  the  submarine  cable, 
and  we  also  came  to  anchor  about  the  same  time.  We  remained  in  this 
state  for  about  an  hour,  when  we  saw  two  or  three  flags  or  streamers  run 
up  at  half  mast  on  board  the  bark — a  signal  of  distress.  Shortly  after 
she  unfurled  some  of  her  sails,  and  stood  out  to  sea.  She  had  lost  her 
anchor,  and  to  save  herself  from  drifting  on  the  rocks,  was  obliged  to  cut 
the  submarine  cable,  and  stand  off  from  the  shore.  In  a  few  minutes  we 
were  after  her,  and  by  a  series  of  most  skilful  manoeuvres  attached  her  to 
our  stern  by  a  hawser.  When  we  first  approached  her,  several  efforts 
were  made  to  throw  a  rope  over  her  side,  but  without  success,  when  our 
captain  changed  the  position  of  our  vessel  so  as  to  let  her  drop  under  our 
stern,  and  allow  a  rope  to  be  flung  to  one  of  the  men  on  her  bowsprit. 
The  rope  was  caught,  the  hawser  hauled  on  board,  and  in  less  than  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour  we  had  her  safely  in  tow.  Four  cheers  were  given  to  Cap- 
tain Turner,  for  the  skill  he  displayed  in  the  management  of  his  vessel, 
and  they  were  well  deserved. 

During  this  difficulty  the  bark  lost  two  of  her  anchors,  and  the 
steamer  was  obliged  to  part  with  one  of  hers,  leaving  only  two  between 
both  vessels.  Both  of  these  belonged  to  our  steamer,  but  as  it  was  impos- 
sible for  her  to  return  near  the  land  without  some  security,  our  captain 
was  obliged  to  give  her  one  of  his  own. 

The  26th  being   Sunday  we  did  not  move  from  the  Cove,  and  a 
part  of  the  day  was  spent  in  repairing  the  cable,  which  broke  again  soon 
after.     It  was  evident  now  that  the  portion  which  had  been  laid  must  be 
abandoned,  and  that  it  should  be  relanded  and  secured  anew  to  the  fasten 
ings  in  the  telegraph  house. 


jnii»<^fi- 


TAKING   THE   CABLE   ASHORE. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

'^  an  early  hour  on  Monday  morning  the  2tth,  the  Victoria 
took  the  bark  in  tow,  and  brought  her  within  a  distance  of 
about  six  hundred  yards  from  the  beach.  The  cable  was  then 
placed  upon  the  boats,  as  described  in  the  preceeding  chapter, 
successfully  landed,  and  placed  in  connection  with  the  batteries.  A  stiff 
breeze  from  the  northwest  however  prevented  the  prosecution  of  the  work, 
an^  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  defer  it  till  the  next  morning.  Outside 
the  Cove  the  waves  ran  so  high  that  any  attempt  to  lay  the  cable  would 
endanger  the  safety  of  both  vessels.  That  day  therefore,  we  remained  at 
anchor,  and  flattered  ourselves  with  the  hope  that  the  weather  would  soon 
prove  more  auspicious. 

The  following  morning  was  all  that  could  be  desired  ;  the  waves  had 


92  A     TRIPTO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

subsided  to  a  gentle  ripple,  there  was  scarcely  a  cloud  to  dim  the  brif^iit- 
ness  of  the  sun,  Cape  Bay  appeared  resptendent  in  his  beams,  and  every- 
thing seemed  to  favor  the  enterprize.  As  the  first  dawn  of  morning  tinged 
tlie  eastern  horizon,  the  bark  raised  her  anchor  and  was  towed  out  to 
our  steamer,  which  lay  at  a  distance  of  half  a  mile  from  the  beach.  In 
less  than  an  hour  she  was  attached  to  the  James  Adger  with  a  hawser, 
and  the  process  of  laying  the  cable  was  commenced  in  earnest.  All  our 
delay  seemed  trifling  in  view  of  our  certainty  of  success — for  no  one  enter- 
tained any  doubts  now  of  its  success,  so  long  as  the  weather  proved  favor- 
able. The  first  two  miles  of  the  cable  were  laid  without  an  accident,  but 
just  as  they  were  commencing  on  the  third  a  kink  occured  in  it,  and  it 
was  found  necessary  to  stop  the  steamer  to  repair  the  damage.  In  tlie 
course  of  an  hour  all  was  set  right  and  we  were  under  way  again  ;  but 
in  a  few  minutes  more  the  white  flag  which  had  been  agreed  upon  as  a 
signal  before  starting,  was  displayed,  and  we  were  obliged  to  stop.  Mr 
Canning  afterwards  said,  that  the  speed  of  the  steamer,  even  at  its  lowest 
rate,  was  too  fast  for  the  purpose,  and  that  it  was  almost  impossible  for  his 
men  to  pay  out  the  cable  with  sufficient  rapidity.  Eight  were  employed 
in  the  hold  turning  out  the  coils,  and  eight  more  in  attendance  on  the 
machinery.  The  position  of  those  in  the  hold  was  one  of  considerable 
danger,  and  two  or  three  were  severely  bruised  by  the  cable  as  they  were 
in  the  act  of  uncoiling  it.  It  required  their  constant  vigilance,  and  great- 
est activity  to  keep  clear  of  it  as  it  swept  up  through  the  hold,  for  if  once 
caught  within  its  folds,  the  consequences  would  have  been  serious,  if  iiot 
fatal.  To  avoid  this,  they  stood  on  the  outside  of  the  coil,  raising  it  up 
and  passing  it  out  at  the  rate  of  two,  and  sometimes,  three  miles  an  hour. 
Several  kinks  occured  up  to  twelve  o'clock  on  Tuesday  night,  and  it 
was  reported  on  board  of  our  steamer  at  one  time  that  the  cable  had 
l)artcd.     This  report,  however,  was  found  to  be  incorrect,  and  it  was  nscer- 


ATRIPTO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  93 

tained  that  it  only  required  splicing,  and  that  it  had  to  be  cut  to  splice  it 
successfully.  This  was  a  tedious  task,  and  took  till  1  o'clock  the  follow- 
ing morning  to  accomplish.  From  this  till  four  in  the  afternoon  they  had 
very  few  stoppages — the  machinery  worked  admirably — and  although  our 
steamer  was  still  somewhat  too  fast,  the  cable  was  paid  out  with  less  diffi- 
culty than  had  been  experienced  before.  Up  to  this  time  they  had  to  pay 
it  out  from  the  small  coil  in  the  bow  of  the  vessel,  but  the  work  was  not 
so  arduous  when  they  reached  the  larger  one,  which  lay  in  the  main  hold. 
The  kinks,  therefore,  became  less  frequent  ;  and  as  we  were  now  within 
sight  of  St.  Paul's,  which  was  about  fourteen  miles  distant,  we  felt  elated 
at  the  prospect  of  landing  it  there  in  a  few  hours  more.  We  were,  it  is 
true,  somewhat  discouraged  by  a  break  taking  place  in  two  of  the  three 
copper  wires,  one  only  having  remained  perfect.  Still,  strong  hopes  were 
entertained  that  when  once  landed,  all  the  wires  would  be  in  good  work- 
ing order.  Forty  miles  of  the  cable  had  been  paid  out  from  the  time  we 
started,  while  the  actual  distance  traversed  did  not  exceed  thirty-two  at 
the  utmost.  It  was,  therefore,  considered  advisable  to  land  it  at  the  island 
of  St.  Paul's,  instead  of  Cape  North,  as  was  at  first  proposed,  and  to 
make  the  connection  next  year.  Not  more  than  thirty-three  miles  of  the 
cable  remained,  and  it  was  on  making  allowance  for  the  loss  on  this,  that 
Mr.  Canning  reluctantly  concluded  to  give  up  the  design  originally  enter- 
tained of  running  to  Cape  North. 

At  four  o'clock  the  wind,  which  had  been  increasing  for  the  last  two 
or  three  hours,  blew  with  such  violence  as  to  render  it  impossible  to  con- 
tinue the  work  on  board  the  bark.  The  sea  ran  so  high  that  it  was  only 
at  intervals  we  could  discern  those  on  her  deck.  The  sky  looked  wild  and 
threatening,  and  the  waves  broke  in  spray  over  the  decks  of  both  vessels. 
The  ocean  was  covered  with  a  mist  that  rendered  objects,  at  the  distance 
of  four  or  five  mile":  invisible,  and  St.  Paul's  Island  could  no  longer  be  seen 


94  ATRIPTO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

To  render  our  position  still  more  critical  another  kink  occurred  in  the 
cable,  and  both  vessels  were  compelled  to  lay  to.  They  made  several  at- 
tempts to  repair  the  damage,  but  all  was  useless,  the  bark  rolled  with  such 
violence  that  the  men  could  not  work,  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  diflfi- 
culty  they  could  even  stand  on  the  deck.  Every  eye  was  now  fixed  on 
Mr.  Canning,  and  they  all  waited  with  feverish  anxiety  for  him  to  give 
the  order  to  cut  the  cable.  They  had  for  more  than  an  hour  abandoned 
all  hope  of  being  able  to  land  it,  and  their  fears  were  aroused  for  their 
own  safety  and  that  of  the  vessel.  But  Mr.  Canning  was  unwilling  to 
give  the  word,  still  hoping,  even  against  hope,  that  the  gale  would  abate, 
and  that  before  morning  he  would  be  able  to  resume  work.  Although 
both  vessels  were  holding  on  by  the  cable,  it  showed  no  sign  of  parting, 
and  would  doubtless  have  remained  whole  to  the  end,  had  it  been  con- 
sidered prudent  to  hold  on  by  it.  It  was  at  this  juncture  that  its  strength 
was  tested,  and  successfully  proved.  We  had  heard  that  it  was  capable 
of  holding  a  seventy-four  in  a  gale  of  wind,  but  it  seemed  hardly  possible 
that  even  a  rope  of  iron  wire,  not  much  more  than  an  inch  in  diameter, 
could  hold  two  vessels  under  such  circumstances. 

When  Mr.  Canning  refused  to  cut  the  cable,  and  there  appeared  to 
be  no  prospect  of  the  gale  abating,  the  captain  of  the  bark,  Mr.  Pous- 
land,  told  him  he  would  have  to  give  the  order,  as  the  safety  of  his  ship, 
was  now  endangered. 

"  Mr.  Canning,"  said  he,  "  I  shall  be  obliged  to  cut  the  cable.'' 

"  You  can  do  as  you  please,"  said  Mr.  C.  in  reply,  for  he  would  per- 
sist no  longer  in  his  attempts  to  save  it,  particularly  as  it  had  now  become 
a  matter  of  life  and  death.  Tlie  next  minute  the  cable  was  cut,  the  white 
flag  which  had  been  displayed  on  the  bow  for  the  last  two  hours  was 
lowered,  and  we  were  once  more  in  motion  with  the  bark  in  tow. 

On  board  our  steamer  the  paying  out  of  the  cable  was  regarded  with 


A    TRIP    TO    NEWFOUNDLAND. 


95 


SARAH   L.    BRYANT   AND   JAMES    ADGER   LEAVING   CAPE   RAT. 


the  greatest  interest,  from  the  moment  we  started  from  Cape  Ray  Cove. 
A  watch  of  two  hours  was  organized  among  the  company,  to  be  kept  up 
till  we  reached  the  place  of  destination.  Two  persons  were  appointed 
on  each  watch,  whose  duty  it  was  to  attend  to  the  signals  on  the  bark, 
and  to  stop  our  steamer  when  required.  During  the  day  time,  the  chief 
engineer,  Mr.  Scott,  assisted  in  this  part  of  the  work,  and  the  passengers 
will  never  forget  the  feelings  with  which  they  heard  him  call  out  to  the 
man  at  the  engine  to  "  Stop  her,"  or  the  relief  they  felt  when  he  gave  the 
word  to  "  Hook  her  on,  and  let  her  slew."  We  dreaded  the  appearance 
of  the  white  flag,  for  it  was  an  indication  that  something  was  wrong  on 
board  the  bark,  and  when  it  was  lowered  it  seemed  as  if  an  oppressive 


96  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

weight  had  been  removed  from  our  minds.  But  when  the  gale  came  on, 
and  the  lives  of  all  on  board  the  Sarah  L.  Bryant,  appeared  to  be  in  im- 
minent danger,  the  interest  became  painfully  intense.  Although  not  more 
than  five  hundred  feet  from  us,  we  could  only  see  those  on  her  deck  at 
brief  intervals.  She  plunged  violently,  and  as  she  rose  at  times  on  the 
crest  of  the  waves,  we  could  see  at  least  o;i3  half  of  her  keel.  For  two 
long  hours  we  watched  her  tugging  at  the  cable,  anticipating  with 
impatience  the  word  to  cut  it ;  but  still  she  held  on,  and  there  seemed  to 
be  no  intention  on  the  part  of  those  in  command  to  give  the  order.  At 
last  the  white  flag  disappeared,  after  an  hour  of  painful  suspense,  and  we 
soon  perceived  that  tlie  cable  had  been  cut.  The  order  was  immediately 
given  to  our  engineer  to  go  ahead,  but  as  there  was  some  danger  of  the 
hawser  breaking,  our  steamer  was  not  put  under  full  headway.  At  one 
time  we  were  ourselves  in  a  most  critical  condition,  and  were  laboring 
heavily  in  the  trough  of  the  sea.  It  was  only  for  a  few  minutes,  however  : 
our  steamer  was  placed  head  to  the  waves,  and  we  were  soon  out  of  dan- 
ger. We  now  made  as  direct  as  possible  for  Sydney,  going  at  the  rate 
of  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  miles  an  hour,  and  expecting  to  reach  that 
port  on  Thursday. 

The  evening  previous  to  the  day  on  which  the  cable  was  cut  tlie 
British  war  steamer  Argus,  Captain  Purvis,  which  had  been  visible  for  the 
last  two  hours,  came  alongside  the  propeller,  and  was  spoken  by  Captain 
Sluyter.  Orders  had  been  received  by  Admiral  Fanshawe  of  the  North 
American  station,  from  the  British  Board  of  Admiralty,  to  render  any 
assistance  in  his  power  to  the  vessels  employed  in  laying  the  cable.  Tiie 
order  was  transmitted  to  Capt.  Purvis,  who  immediately  set  out  from 
Halifax,  but  unfortunately  arrived  too  late  for  the  purpose.  He  asked 
Capt.  Sluyter  if  he  required  any  assistance. 


98  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

"  Are  you  in  want  of  assistance  ?"  lie  inquired,  when  the  propeller 
came  within  speaking  distance. 

•*  No,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Are  you  short  of  coal  ?" 

"  Yes,  rather." 

"  Is  the  other  steamer  short  of  coal  also  ?"  he  again  asked. 

"  Yes,  we  are  both  short." 

"  Then  I  shall  lie  by  you  all  night,  and  if  you  should  need  assistance 
you  shall  have  it." 

True  to  his  word,  Captain  Purvis  remained  by  us,  and  as  we  saw  the 
green  and  red  lights  of  his  steamer  gleaming  through  the  darkness  of  that 
long  and  weary  night,  we  enjoyed  a  feeling  of  security  for  those  on  board 
the  bark  we  had  not  felt  for  hours  before. 

About  seven  o'clock  on  Thursday  morning,  the  Argus  came  along- 
side again,  and  we  observed  one  of  her  men  holding  a  black  board  on  her 
paddle  box,  having  the  following  inscribed  in  large  letters  upon  it : — 

CAN    WE    RENDER    YOU    ANY    ASSISTANCE  ? 

Our  captain  shook  his  head  in  reply,  but  the  Englishman  was  not 
satisfied  with  this,  and  taking  a  short  turn,  came  back  and  again  displayed 
his  black  board,  with  the  following  words  : — 

ANSWER YES,    OR    NO  !    AS    I    AM    ON    MY    PASSAGE. 

This  was  definite  enough  and  required  an  explicit  answer,  which  was 
given  promptly.  A  piece  of  chalk  was  produced,  and  the  significant 
monosyllable  "  No,"  written  in  gigantic  characters  on  the  side  of  our 
smoke  stack.  This  was  suflBcient,  and  in  a  few  minutes  more  the  Argus 
left  us  ;  but  long  after  she  disappeared  beyond  the  horizon  we  could  trace 
her  course  by  the  black  line  of  smoke  which  she  left  along  the  sky. 


ENCAMPMENT    OF   MICMAC    INDIANS. 


CHAPTER    X. 

were  now,  as  we  have  said,  on  our  way  to  Sydney,  which 
was  about  seventy  miles  distant.  On  Thursday  morning  the 
gale  abated  considerably,  and  about  three  o'clock  the  sea  had 
become  settled  enough  to  allow  a  boat  to  be  sent  from  the 
bark.  Four  of  our  company,  Mr.  Canning,  and  five  of  the  steamer's 
crew,  came  in  her,  and  as  they  jumped  upon  deck  were  received  with  a 
welcome  that  came  from  the  very  depths  of  our  hearts.  Mr.  Canning 
'wi»S:  conducted  to  the  fore  cabin  by  Mr.  Field,  where  we  were  all  assem- 
bled, and  where  he  was  greeted  with  three  enthusiastic  cheers.  It  was  a 
gratifying  assurance,  after  all  his  labor  and  anxiety,  that  his  services  were 
appreciated,  and  that,  although  the  attempt  to  lay  the  cable  had  proved  a 
failure,  he  had  done  all  that  human  energy  could  accomplish,  and  the  fail- 
ure was  in  no  degree  attributable  to  any  neglect  or  want  of  proper  pre- 
caution on  his  part.     It  was  a  matter  entirely  beyond  his  power,  or  that 


100  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

of  any  other  man  ;  he  hoped  to  the  last,  and  only  yielded  when  Captain 
Pousland  decided  that  the  safety  of  all  in  the  bark  demanded  the  sacrifice 
of  the  cable.  His  appearance  and  that  of  his  associates  once  more  in  onr 
midst  was  a  glad  sight  to  us  all,  for  we  entertained  the  most  serious  appre- 
hensions for  their  safety.  If  the  hawser,  which  was  the  only  connection 
between  the  vessels,  had  parted  during  the  gale,  we  would  have  found  it  a 
dangerous  task  to  take  her  in  tow  again.  To  its  great  strength,  therefore, 
we  were  in  no  small  degree  indebted  for  the  safety  of  our  friends. 

On  Thursday  afternoon  about  four  o'clock,  we  took  a  pilot  on  board, 
and  an  hour  after  we  were  safely  anchored  opposite  the  coal  wharf  of 
North  Sidney.  Our  stay  here  was  much  longer  than  we  anticipated,  but 
we  made  the  best  use  of  our  time,  and  before  our  departure  had  formed 
numerous  acquaintances  and  were  tolerably  well  posted  up  in  the  character 
of  the  place  and  its  people. 

Sidney  has  a  population  of  about  five  thousand  persons,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  flourishing  towns  of  its  size  in  the  British  Colonies.  It  is  the 
great  coal  depot  of  Cape  Breton,  and  carries  on  an  extensive  commerce 
with  Boston.  The  principal  working  coal  mine,  which  is  three  miles  from 
the  port,  employs  about  two  hundred  men  and  from  thirty  to  forty  horses. 
Tlie  coal  is  raised  through  a  perpendicular  shaft  three  hundred  and  sixty 
feet  in  depth,  and  the  mine  is  ventilated  by  an  immense  furnace.  The 
daily  product  is  from  six  to  seven  hundred  tons,  which  are  transported 
over  a  railroad  to  the  head  of  a  self  acting  inclined  plane,  from  which  it 
is  delivered  by  means  of  a  schute  into  vessels.  All  our  passengers  with  a 
very  few  exceptions  went  to  the  coal  mines  and  some  of  them  brought 
away  several  curious  fossil  remains  in  remembrance  of  their  visit. 

The  town  of  South  Sidney  is  situated  on  the  other  side  of  the  bay, 
and  is  distant  from  North  Sidney  five  miles  by  water,  and  by  land  about 
thirteen.     Constant  communication  is  kept  up  by  a  little  steamboat  which 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  101 

runs  three  times  a  day  between  North  and  South  Sydney.  While  here,  we 
visited  an  encampment  of  Mic-mac  Indians  who  had  pitched  their  tents,  or 
wigwams,  on  a  hill  overlooking  the  harbor.  They  numbered  about  one 
hundred,  and  lived  chiefly  by  making  baskets  and  Indian  ornaments  for 
which  there  was  an  extensive  demand  among  our  passengers. 

The  whole  encampment  of  men,  women  and  children  were  kept  con- 
stantly employed  during  our  visit  ;  and  before  we  left  our  berths,  were 
full  of  baskets  of  all  sizes  and  shapes,  canoes,  bows  and  arrows,  mocassins, 
caps  and  other  articles  of  Indian  handicraft.  The  women  performed  the 
greater  part  of  this  kind  of  work,  while  the  men  were  generally  employed 
as  laborers  in  the  town.  In  their  dealings  with  us  we  found  them  scrupu- 
lously honest  and  willing  and  ready  to  do  whatever  work  we  required  of 
them.  Some  of  the  women  were  really  beautiful,  judged  by  the  Indian 
type  of  beauty  ;  but  they  had  a  milder  expression  than  is  generally  found 
in  the  Indian  countenance.  They  were  in  a  perfectly  civilized  state, 
although  judging  from  the  condition  in  which  they  lived,  their  knowledge 
of  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  civilized  life  was  very  limited.  Yet  though 
in  a  state  of  comparative  poverty,  and  sometimes  in  actual  want  of  the 
necessaries  of  life  for  two  or  three  days  at  a  time,  they  would  not  change 
positions  with  the  wealthiest  denizen  of  the  Fifth  Avenue.  Our  visit  to 
their  encampment  created  quite  a  commotion  among  them,  and  we  proved 
such  good  customers  that  our  departure  was  regarded  with  a  general  feel- 
ing of  regret. 

"  You  no  go  'way  soon,"  said  one  to  us,  the  day  before  our  depart- 
ure. "  We  make  much  baskets  for  you — you  no  go  'way  for  long  time." 
Notwithstanding  their  pressing  invitations  to  stay  "  long  time,"  and  the 
strong  inducements  they  held  out  of  making  "  much  baskets,"  it  must  be 
confessed  we  were  anxious  to  get  away  and  see  friends  and  home  again 


102  A     TRIP     TO      N  K  W  F  O  U  N  D  L  A  N  D  . 

We  began  to  feel  home  sick,  and  the  last  few  days  of  stormy  weather  did 
not  as  may  well  be  supposed,  lessen  the  feeling. 

The  Sarah  L.  Bryant  was  left  at  Sydney  where  the  remaining  thirty 
three  miles  of  the  cable  were  taken  ashore,  and  the  propeller  Victoria 
took  her  departure  for  St.  Johns  at  an  early  hour  on  Sunday  morning, 
September  2d.  A  few  hours  later  we  started  for  home,  and  after  a  favor- 
able passage  of  three  days  arrived  within  sight  of  Long  Island,  about  five 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  5th.  Our  pilot,  Mr.  Thomas  Vail,  who 
came  with  us  from  New  York,  now  took  charge  of  our  steamer,  which 
arrived  safely  at  pier  No.  4,  North  River,  on  Wednesday,  September  5tli. 

The  evening  before  our  arrival  in  New  York  there  was  a  pleasant 
reunion  of  the  whole  company  in  the  after  cabin.  It  had  been  announced 
that  morning  that  we  were  to  have  a  fancy  dress  ball,  and  that  all  who 
attended  with  the  intention  of  taking  part  in  the  dancing  must  appear  in 
costume.  The  affair  was  got  up  by  the  ladies,  and  as  every  one  was  in- 
vited, every  one  of  course  was  present.  Jem  Bags  made  his  appearance, 
and  in  the  fanciest  of  fancy  costumes.  Then  there  was  Ophelia,  a  merry, 
laughing  sprightly  Ophelia  too,  who  appeared  to  be  on  the  best  of  terms 
with  the  wandering  minstrel.  Mother  Hubbard  danced  with  Mo-che-ta- 
boo,  one  of  the  great  chiefs  of  the  Whiskee-Friskees — and  little  Red 
Riding  Hood,  personated  by  one  of  our  young  friends,  was  protected  from 
the  frequent  attacks  of  an  imaginary  wolf  by  the  blackest  of  Jim  Crows. 
There  were  kings  and  nobles  who  fraternized  with  Democrats  and  Red 
Republicans  of  the  most  radical  stamp.  Ancients  and  moderns  leaped  the 
wide  gulf  of  centuries  to  dance  the  Polka  and  Schottische  together. 
Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  took  snuflT  with  William  Penn,  and  one  of  the  Pil- 
grim fathers,  with  the  most  utter  disregard  of  all  blue  laws,  went  through 
a  cotillon  with  a  grace  that  would  have  done  credit  to  any  dancing-master. 
It  was  a  grand  amalgamation  in  which  the  past  and  the  present  were 


A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND.  103 

blended  together  in  the  most  pleasing  harmony,  and  opposite  characters 
associated  with  each  other  on  the  most  friendly  terms.  It  was  late  that 
night  before  our  fancy  dress  ball  broke  up  and  all  retired  to  rest.  The 
next  morning  we  were  all  on  deck  at  an  early  hour  and  looking  with  earn- 
est eyes  on  the  low  coast  of  Long  Island  which  was  gradually  rising  before 
our  view  like  a  new  creation  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean.  In  a  few  hours 
more  we  would  be  home,  and  never  did  hours  appear  longer  than  those. 

While  off  Sandy  Hook,  a  meeting  of  the  passengers  was  held  in  the 
after  cabin,  to  express  their  thanks  to  the  New  York,  Newfoundland  and 
London  Telegraph  Company,  for  the  many  courtesies  they  had  received 
at  their  hands  during  the  excursion.  Rev.  Dr.  Sherwood  presided,  and 
Dr.  L.  A.  Sayres  officiated  as  secretary.  On  motion,  a  committee  of  five 
was  appointed  to  draw  up  a  series  of  resolutions  expressive  of  the  feelings 
of  the  meeting.  The  committee  reported  the  following,  which  were  unan- 
imously adopted  : — 

Resolved,  That  our  warmest  thanks  are  due  to  the  New  York  New- 
foundland and  London  Telegraph  Company,  and  especially  to  their  repre- 
sentatives, Peter  Cooper,  Esq.,  and  Cyrus  W.  Field,  Esq.,  for  the  munifi- 
cent hospitality  to  which  we  are  indebted  for  the  delightful  and  interest- 
ing voyage  which  is  now  drawing  to  a  close — a  voyage  which  has  made  us 
acquainted  with  places  little  known,  enriched  our  minds  with  a  store  of 
valuable  recollections,  and  cheered  us  with  the  warmth  of  social  inter- 
course. 

Resolved,  That  while  we  offer  our  heartfelt  sympathy  to  the  Tele- 
graph Company  for  the  unsuccessful  issue  of  their  attempt  to  lay  the  sub- 
marine cable  between  Newfoundland  and  Cape  Breton,  on  account  of  un- 
favorable weather  and  unforeseen  difficulties,  we  have  entire  faith  that  the 
untiring  energy  and  perseverance  which  have  characterized  their  labors 
hitherto,  will  ensure  their  final  triumph  and  enable  them  to  conduct  to  its 
speedy  fulfilment  one  of  the  grandest  enterprizes  of  the  present  day. 


104  A     TRIP     TO     NEWFOUNDLAND. 

Resolved,  That  we  tender  our  thanks  to  Capt.  Turner  and  the  officers 
of  the  steamer  James  Adger  for  their  courtesy  and  attention  on  the 
voyage.     Signed  by  the  committee. 

Wm,  M.  Swaim.  Lewis  A.  Sayre. 

John  Mullaly,  Bayard  Taylor. 

J.  M.  Sherwood.  Jaues  S.  Sluyter. 

On  the  adoption  of  the  foregoing,  Mr.  Cooper  and  Mr.  Field  returned 
their  thanks,  on  behalf  of  the  company  ;  after  which  an  impressive  prayer 
was  made  by  Rev.  Dr.  Field.     The  meeting  then  adjourned. 

We  cannot  allow  this  opportunity  to  pass  without  returning  our  sin- 
cere thanks  to  Mr.  Cooper,  Mr.  Field,  Captain  Turner,  the  purser  of  the 
steamer,  Mr.  Tisdale,  and  the  other  officers  of  the  vessel,  for  then:  courtesy 
and  kindness  towards  us  on  every  occasion. 

The  excursion,  although  it  failed  in  its  principal  object — the  laying, 
of  the  submarine  cable  between  Newfoundland  and  Cape  Breton — yet,  as 
a  pleasure  trip,  was  most  successful.  Next  year,  with  the  advantage  of 
tlie  experience  which  the  company  have  gained,  they  will,  it  is  to  be  hoped, 
be  enabled  to  accomplish  the  great  enterprize  in  which  they  have  em- 
barked. It  is  one  in  which  not  only  the  United  States,  but  the  whole 
world,  are  deeply  interested — for  upon  its  success  depends  that  of  the 
Transatlantic  Telegraph  by  which  the  Union  of  the  Old  and  New  Worlds 
is  to  be  accomplished.  That  it  may  succeed,  should  be  the  earnest  desire 
of  all. 


APPENDIX. 

If  June  1851,  Mr.  H.  B.  Tebbetts  of  the  City  of  New  York  associated 
with  him  several  influential  gentlemen  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a 
company  to  build  steamers  of  a  large  size,  to  run  between  the  ports  of 
New  York  and  Galway,  Ireland.  These  ships  were  to  be  specially  adapt- 
ed to  perform  the  mail  service  between  the  two  continents,  and  to  accom- 
modate the  large  emigrant  travel  from  Ireland  to  the  United  States. 

In  originating  this  enterprize,  Mr.  Tebbett's  conceived  the  idea  of  the  New- 
foundland telegraph  which  Is  at  present  so  prominently  before  the  public.  Confi- 
dent of  the  practicability  of  the  project,  he  entered  into  a  correspondence  with 
diflferent  members  of  the  Government  of  Newfoundland  in  regard  to  the  subject, 
and  with  the  view  of  making  St.  Johns  a  port  of  call  for  the  steamers  to  and 
from  Galway.  He  was  assured  that  his  plan  was  perfectly  feasible  and  that  the 
Government  would  make  liberal  grants  and  concessions  to  secure  its  accomplish- 
ment. 

Soon  after,  the  Government  ordered  a  survey  to  be  made,  and  on  its  comple- 
tion sent  the  Engineer  with  his  report  and  a  letter  of  introduction  from  Mr.  S.  G. 
Archibald,  dated  December  17,  1851,  to  Mr.  Tebbetts.  The  introduction  resulted 
in  the  offer  of  the  liberal  sum  of  twenty  thousand  dollars  by  Mr.  Tebbetts  to  the 
Engineer  on  condition,  that  he  would  return  and  procure  such  a  charter  from  the 
Government  as  he  desired.  The  offer  was  accepted,  the  Engineer  returned  and 
succeeded  in  procuring  the  required  charter  which  was  granted  in  March  1852,  and 
under  which  Mr.  Tebbetts  organized  an  association  entitled,  "  The  Newfoundland 
Electric  Telegraph  Company." 

When  Mr.  Tebbetts  first  conceived  the  project  it  w^as  his  design  to  run  small 
steamers  across  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  between  Cape  Ray  and  Cape  North, 
the  proposed  termini  of  the  land  lines  in  Newfoundland  and  Cape  Breton.  This 
was  the  only  means  of  communication,  as  up  to  this  period  every  attempt  to  manu- 
facture a  submarine  cable  had  been  attended  with  a  signal  failure.     Shortly  after, 


106  APPENDIX. 

however,  it  was  discovered  that  by  means  of  gutta  percha,  the  conducting  wires 
could  be  completely  insulated,  and  in  less  than  a  year  the  first  cable  was  laid 
between  France  and  England  a  distance,  of  twenty-six  miles.  This  great  achieve- 
ment was  performed  in  September,  1851. 

The  success  of  this  cable  led  to  the  abandonment  of  the  plan  of  running 
steamers  between  Cape  North  and  Cape  Ray,  and  to  a  change  in  the  proposed 
route  of  the  line.  It  was  decided  that  the  line  should  run  from  New  Brunswick 
to  Prince  Edw^ard's  Island  and  thence  to  Newfoundland.  The  company  accord- 
ingly ordered  a  submarine  cable  to  be  made,  which  was  successfully  laid  down  in 
September  1852,  between  New  Brunswick  and  Prince  Edward's  Island — a  distance 
of  ten  miles.    This  was  the  first  laid  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

After  expending  about  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  the  prosecution  of 
the  work,  numerous  embarrassments  arose  and  the  company  was  eventually  obliged 
to  suspend  payment.  Through  the  exertions  of  Mr.  Tebbetts,  however,  the  gentle- 
men now  engaged  in  the  enterprize  were  induced  to  take  hold  of  it,  and  they  did 
so  with  an  alacrity  which  showed  their  confidence  in  its  ultimate  success.  Its 
practicability  had  been  satisfactorily  proved  and  it  only  required  men  possessing 
the  means  and  the  energy  to  carry  it  to  a  successful  completion.  The  property 
of  the  old  company  was  purchased  by  the  new.  Previous  to  the  dissolution  of 
the  "  Newfoundland  Electric  Telegraph  Company,"  the  charter  was  surrendered 
to  the  Government  and  the  gentlemen  who  had  now  the  control  and  management 
of  the  enterprize  proceeded  at  once  with  due  diligence  and  energy  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  great  work  which  they  had  undertaken. 

The  new  association  was  organized  under  the  title  of  the  "  New  York,  New- 
foundland and  London  Telegraph  Company,"  and  is  composed  of  the  following 
gentlemen  : — 

directors. 
Peter  Cooper,  Cyrus  W.  Field, 

MosEs  Taylor,  Marshaij.  0.  Roberts, 

Chandler  White, 
President,        -  -  -         Peter  Cooper. 

Vice  President,      -  -         -     Chandler  White, 

Treasurer,        .  -  -         Moses  Taylor, 

Electrician,  -  -  -    Samuel  F.  B.  Morse. 

These  gentlemen  having  carefully  weighed  and  considered  the  difficulties  by 
which  the  enterprize  was  beset,  applied  to  the  Newfoundland  Government  for  a 
new  charter  in  which  they  obtained  some  additions  to  the  privileges  and  grants 


APPENDIX.  lot 

conferred  in  that  procured  by  the  old  company.  They  were  given  the  exclusive 
privilege  for  fifty  years,  which  was  an  increase  of  twenty  over  the  former  grant, 
of  running  a  telegraph  across  the  Island,  and  through  any  of  the  adjacent  waters. 
In  addition  to  this  the  government,  realizing  the  great  advantage  such  a  work 
would  be  in  opening  up  the  country  and  developing  its  resources,  made  them  a 
present  of  fifty  square  miles  of  land,  which  was  twenty  more  than  they  gave  to  the 
company  organized  by  Mr.  Tebbetts.  Their  liberality,  however,  did  not  stop  here; 
they  also  as  an  encouragement  to  the  enterprize  appropriated  five  thousand  pounds 
sterling,  towards  the  construction  of  a  bridle  path  across  the  island,  a  work  indis- 
pensable for  the  repair  and  regulation  of  the  telegraph.  The  land  was  granted 
with  the  privilege  of  selecting  it  in  any  part  of  the  country,  and  the  interest  on 
fifty  thousand  pounds  sterling  guaranteed  to  the  company  for  twenty  years.  In 
addition  to  all  this  fifty  miles  are  to  be  given  when  the  great  'IVansatlantic  Tele- 
graph is  laid. 

The  company  having  now  obtained  all  they  had  asked  for,  proceeded  ener- 
getically to  work  and,  as  a  preliminary  step  made  a  contract  with  Professor  Morse, 
by  which  they  secured  the  use  of  his  patents  and  all  renewals.  An  engineer  and 
assistants  were  engaged  for  the  construction  of  the  land  telegraph  across  the  island 
from  St.  Johns  to  Cape  Eay,  and  about  six  hundred  men  having  been  employed 
operations  were  immediately  commenced.  The  route  over  which  it  was  proposed 
to  run  the  line  is  almost  a  wilderness  and  presents,  one  would  suppose,  an  insuper- 
able obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  enterprize ;  but  the  men  who  had  undertaken 
it  were  not  to  be  deterred  by  difficulties  and  they  went  to  work  with  an  energy 
that  ensures  success.  While  they  had  operatives  employed  in  clearing  the  wilder- 
ness and  constructing  their  line,  they  had  others  engaged  in  the  selection  and 
exploration  of  the  land  granted  by  the  Government.  The  services  of  three  miner- 
alogists were  secured  and  their  investigations  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  two  coal 
mines,  one  lead  mine,  and  one  of  copper,  besides  valuable  tracts  of  ship  timber  and 
several  quarries  of  alabaster  and  slate.  The  discovery  of  these,  however,  is  only 
one  of  the  many  benefits  which  it  is  expected  the  new  telegraph  will  confer  upon 
Newfoundland.  The  length  of  the  route  which  will  be  ti-a versed  by  the  line  of 
the  new  company  is  seven  hundred  miles,  and  extends  from  St.  Johns  to  Cape  Tor- 
mentine.  Commencing  at  this  cape,  it  runs  through  the  Straits  of  Northumber- 
land to  Prince  Edward's  Island,  a  distance  of  ten  miles  and  a  half ;  thence  to 
Cape  East,  thence  to  Cape  Breton,  and  thence  to  St.  Johns.  A  one  wire  cable 
ten  miles  long  has,  already,  as  we  have  stated,  been  laid  between  New  Brunswick 
and  Prince  Edward's  Island. 


108  Ai>i'K\nix. 

The  company  have  entered  into  an  a^reemjut  with  the  companies  whose  lines 
run  from  New  York  to  New  Brunswick,  through  Boston  and  Maine.  But  as  the 
great  objects,  to  the  accomplishment  of  which  all  these  operations  may  be  regard- 
ed as  merely  preliminary,  could  not  be  undertaken  without  the  assistance  of  some 
telegraph  company  in  Europe,  they  deputed  one  of  their  number  to  visit  England, 
for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  co-operation  of  one  of  the  principal  companies 
there.  The  same  success  which  attended  them  in  their  previous  negotiations,  fol- 
lowed them  here.  A  contract  was  made  with  the  "  Transatlantic  Telegraph  Com- 
pany," composed  of  French  and  English  capitalists,  by  which  that  company  agreed 
to  construct  and  lay  down  at  their  own  expense  and  risk,  a  submarine  cable  ex- 
tending across  the  Atlantic  to  Newfoundland. 

This  line  is  to  be  not  only  completed  according  to  the  terms  of  the  agree- 
ment by  the  22d  of  January  1858,  but  in  successful  operation.  The  contract  also 
binds  the  two  companies,  that  is  the  Am?rican  and  European  to  operate  in  connec- 
tion with  each  other  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  lines  for  the  period  of  fifty  years. 
In  the  meantime  it  is  intended  to  malce  St.  Johns  a  port  of  call  for  the  steamers  pass- 
ing between  the  two  continents,  by  which  means  wo  can  obtain  news  at  least  three 
days  earlier  than  we  receive  it  at  present.  Among  the  many  inducements  which 
this  route  presents  to  steamers  there  is  one  which  cannot  be  overlooked  :  by  stop- 
ping at  St.  Johns  a  very  considerable  portion  of  the  space  which  is  taken  up  by 
coal  can  be  devoted  to  freight,  as  a  sufficient  supply  of  fuel  can  he  obtained  there 
in  a  few  hours.  This  fact  alone  will  have  great  weight  with  the  mercantile  com- 
munity. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 
LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  d„e  on  the  last  date  stamped  below  or 
on  the  date  to  which  renewed.  ' 

_^enewedbooks  are  subject  to  immediate  recall 


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